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We are led by our three Executive Directors who are governed by our non-executive Board of Directors. With experience across the housing sector, charity, legal and finance we have a strong team driving Mears forward.
Alongside them sits our Employee Director who is selected from a competitive selection process from our colleagues. Their role is to scrutinise our decisions to ensure that all Mears Colleagues have a voice at the top.
Jim is a very experienced company Chief Financial Officer. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1984. He has spent much of his career in senior finance roles in consumer-facing industries, having been Chief Financial Officer at David Lloyd Leisure, JD Wetherspoon and Countrywide.
David joined Mears in May 1996 and, prior to his appointment to the Board in January 2007, was Managing Director of the Mears Social Housing division. Before joining Mears, David held a senior position with the MITIE Group. His background is in electrical engineering.
Lucas graduated with a BA in Business and Commerce, joining the Company as a business apprentice in 2004. He has worked his way up through business development and operational roles within the Group to join the Executive Board in 2023. He has hands-on experience of running contracts throughout his time at Mears, becoming Operations Director in 2017 and Group Chief Operating Officer in 2021. Lucas has been announced as the successor as Chief Executive to David Miles who will retire in 2023.
Andrew joined Mears in 1999 and, prior to his appointment to the Board, was Chief Financial Officer covering the Group’s subsidiaries. Andrew qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1994 and worked in professional practice prior to joining Mears
Angela has extensive experience gained from a career in housing spanning 30 years. Starting her career at Sunderland Council, Angela then worked for Home Housing and subsequently joined Endeavour Housing Association, firstly as Housing Director and then Managing Director. She joined North Star in 2009, holding the position of CEO. Angela holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Hema read Law at university and has over 20 years’ bid management experience, predominantly in the social housing sector. She has worked for Mears since 2020 as a Bid Manager in the central business development function as well as previously from 2014–2018 and before that worked for a Housing Association.
Julia is former Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. She has significant experience in the housing and care sectors, having been a member of the Housing Corporation Board for 10 years and Chair of the Refugee Council. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 2020 for service to civil society.
Ben is a Chartered Accountant and, prior to his appointment as Company Secretary, was Group Financial Controller and Director of a number of the Group’s subsidiaries. Ben joined the Group in 2004, having previously worked in professional practice.
Alongside our Board of Directors, we have the Mears Customer Scrutiny Board which is a resident-led independent committee chaired independently. The Board has the right to roam and to publish an annual independent report into Mears’ activities.
The Board feeds in directly to the PLC Board and thus any decisions we make as a company, so that everything we do can be tested by residents first.
Ms Alafat was previously Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Housing and the former Director of Housing at the Department of Communities and Local Government where she was responsible for national housing polices including affordable housing, homelessness and supported housing.
