– UK, Bristol – Unite Group plc (LSE:UTG), the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, announces the appointments of Elizabeth McMeikan (Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee) as Senior Independent Director and Ross Paterson (Non-Executive Director) as Chair of the Audit Committee. These appointments follow the tragic and sudden death of Manjit Wolstenholme announced on 24 November 2017. The appointments take effect immediately.
Elizabeth McMeikan joined Unite in 2014. She has significant experience of working in customer-focused businesses, including Tesco and Colgate Palmolive. Elizabeth is the Senior Independent Director at JD Wetherspoon plc and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Flybe plc.
Ross Paterson joined Unite in 2017. He is already a member of the Audit Committee and, as a qualified accountant with extensive experience of managing finance in complex operational environments, is well placed to chair this Committee. He is currently Finance Director at Stagecoach Group plc and chairs the Audit Committee at Virgin Rail Group Holdings Limited.
Phil White, Chairman of Unite, commented: “These appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to maintaining the best mixture of knowledge, experience and expertise on our board, following the tragic death of our valued colleague Manjit Wolstenholme. The appointments of Liz and Ross are very well-deserved and reflect the valuable contributions both have already made to Unite.”
About Unite Students
Unite Students is the UK’s largest and most established manager and developer of purpose-built student accommodation. It provides a home for around 50,000 students, in more than 140 properties, across 24 leading university cities in England and Scotland. Unite works in partnership with more than 60 Higher Education institutions and also lets rooms directly to students.
Unite’s purpose is to provide a home to its culturally diverse customers, offering them a strong foundation for academic and personal success. The accommodation is high quality, safe and close to university campuses, transport links and local amenities. Students live in ensuite study bedrooms with rents covering all bills, insurance, 24-hour security, fortnightly cleaning of communal kitchens and bathrooms and high-speed Wi-Fi.
Founded in 1991 in Bristol, the Unite Group plc is a FTSE250 company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, employing more than 1,400 people. It pursues a sustainable growth strategy, designed to make the most of the resilient nature of the student accommodation sector. Unite is focused on maintaining its position as the leading provider of student accommodation in the UK, by having the best brand, operating the highest quality portfolio and maintaining the strongest capital structure in the sector. This is achieved with consistent investment in, and improvement to, the operating platform; highly selective development activity and asset management initiatives.
Unite is invested in and operates two specialist funds and joint ventures with institutional investment partners, the £2 billion Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) and the £1 billion London Student Accommodation Vehicle (LSAV).
Unite is the founder and major donor of the Unite Foundation. Since 2012, this has provided free student accommodation and financial support to 160 young people in the UK who lack family support.
For more information : http://www.unite-students.com
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