Tirion appoints a new Chair and enhances its Board to cement its position within Welsh housing

Community development organisation, Tirion, has appointed Sean Mayo as its new Chair and four new Board members to its Group governance structure to enable the business to further enhance its position as a housing partner of choice in Wales.

The new Board members – Claire Marshall, Phil Williams, Sarah Evans and Mark Davies – bring a combined experience of more than a century working within the Welsh housing, commercial and public sectors, across senior financial, development and housing management roles. The three, alongside the existing Board, will support Tirion in its plans to create dynamic communities throughout Wales by building quality, affordable housing.

Tirion’s Board provides the organisation with finance, design, development, planning and community development expertise, working with the senior leadership team to seek new construction opportunities, especially in terms of regenerating brownfield sites to support Welsh Government’s target to build 20,000 affordable homes by the end of the Senedd term.

Stepping into the role as Tirion Group chair, Sean Mayo, said, “As a Board, we are delighted to welcome Phil, Claire, Mark and Sarah to the Board. Their knowledge, experience and expertise means that our ongoing commitment to building high quality, affordable homes remains a reality.

“Through strengthening our Board, we can continue to focus on affordability and value, but also how, as an organisation we can deliver net-zero performance and the highest standards of placemaking.”

Sean takes over from Peter Mathias, who stood down in March (2024). Peter led the Tirion board for more than a decade, supporting the organisation through its early stage investment and the development of both The Mill in Cardiff and Royal Victoria Court in Newport.

The business model operated by Tirion sets it apart from traditional housebuilders and social landlords, with the organisation able to deliver both private market and affordable homes. The Board, with their networks, will provide Tirion with the platform with which to secure new opportunities.

David Ward, chief executive for Tirion added, “Tirion is lucky to have such an incredibly talented and experienced Board to support our plans to create more than just bricks and mortar homes, but instead build places and spaces that people can be proud of. As an organisation, we are now looking to the future, where we will not just be completing schemes this year, but commencing new projects to maintain our construction momentum.”

Alongside its ongoing projects in Cardiff and Newport, Tirion are currently exploring the potential to unlock other stalled regeneration projects across Wales, with a further site based in Rhondda Cynon Taf set to begin construction in 2024.

For more information about Tirion and its Board, visit www.tirionhomes.co.uk