Chair of the Group Asset & Development Committee
The Roles:
Selwood Housing
The Client:
Selwood Housing is a leading nonprofit provider of high-quality, affordable housing across Wiltshire, Somerset, and Bath & North East Somerset. Managing a substantial portfolio of over 7,000 homes, encompassing both rental and shared ownership opportunities, Selwood Housing directly addresses the housing challenges facing these communities.
What sets Selwood Housing apart is its deep understanding of resident needs. The organisation employs over 300 local people, each invested in the community's well-being. They value the importance of being customer driven, enabling Selwood Housing to respond to residents’ needs and consistently enhance its services.
Selwood Housing's vision for the future is ambitious and impactful. By 2034, the organisation plans to expand its portfolio by 1,700 affordable homes. This is part of a robust strategy to help tackle the housing crisis and provide safe, secure homes for local people. They sought our assistance finding a Chair for their Group Asset and Development Committee.
This campaign marked our first collaboration with Selwood Housing. We were pleased to learn more about their operations and source candidates who could contribute meaningfully towards their mission. They needed a Chair who could lead the Committee effectively and efficiently – ensuring its activities align with the organisation’s strategic objectives, and that decisions are made with appropriate oversight, transparency and accountability. Selwood Housing required an individual with nonprofit governance experience, able to guide the Asset and Development Committee as they consider opportunities, key risks and performance issues.
We began by meeting with Selwood Housing's leaders to gain a thorough understanding of the role's responsibilities, as well as their organisational values, culture, and long-term vision. This allowed us to develop a bespoke search campaign, targeting candidates who were a strong cultural fit and also possessed the necessary skills and experience to achieve organisational objectives.
Vanessa Moon, Moon’s Founding Director led a targeted advertising and headhunting operation, revealing some exceptional candidates. We assessed which candidates would be the best fit for Selwood Housing by conducting thorough research and in-depth interviews. Of all the candidates, one stood out as a particularly strong fit for the role. Selwood Housing agreed with our recommendation, appointing David Hobdey as Chair of the Asset and Development Committee.
Mr Hobdey is the former CEO of St. John’s Foundation, adding significant leadership experience to Selwood Housing. He has a proven track record driving organisational excellence as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director on multiple nonprofit Boards. Mr Hobdey’s background and skill set enhance the governance capabilities of the Asset and Development Committee and will help Selwood Housing achieve set objectives. Furthermore, his values align perfectly with Selwood Housing’s, he is hugely empathetic and passionate about making a difference in local communities. As expected, David has fitted in seamlessly at Selwood Housing and is poised to help the organisation succeed in the coming years.
Ria Bristow, Selwood Housing’s Group People & Transformation Director commented:
“Moon's research proved invaluable, uncovering several exceptional candidates and demonstrating a clear understanding of our needs. Their recommended candidate was an ideal match, and the appointment has been a great success so far.”
Vanessa Moon commented:
"We valued the opportunity to learn about Selwood Housing and their unique organisational culture. By focusing on their values and objectives, we were able to identify a Chair who fits the organisation well and can contribute to continued growth."
Following the success of this campaign, we were asked to find Selwood Housing two Board Members, you can read about that search here.
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