25th October 2021
Plus Dane has appointed Paul Knight and Claire Ryan to its top team. The pair will join Ian Reed, who was appointed as chief executive in December 2020 to make up the new executive team.
Following his appointment, Ian undertook a structural review of the organisation’s executive, reducing it from five posts to three and changing portfolio responsibilities under two new posts; chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.
Paul Knight, currently interim executive director of neighbourhoods at Plus Dane will take over as the chief operating officer with Claire Ryan being appointed to the deputy chief executive role.
Paul Knight has a career in social housing spanning over 30 years during which time he has held leadership roles in Your Housing Group and Chester and District Housing Trust as well as interim executive roles. Commenting on his appointment to the Plus Dane team Paul said:
Having worked and enjoyed a number of senior interim roles before joining the organisation also as an interim, I quickly felt a real connection with Plus Dane, its passion, people and ambition and I knew I wanted to stay on a more permanent basis and be part of Plus Dane’s future if the opportunity arose. I am delighted to have been appointed as the new chief operating officer, leading a fantastic team, completely focused on doing its best for our customers.
Claire Ryan started her career at CDS Housing, one of the original housing associations that joined together to become Plus Dane. She is currently a member of the executive at South Liverpool Homes where she has been part of the senior team for the last eleven years.
Speaking about her appointment Claire said:
I can’t wait to re-join the team at Plus Dane in the newly established role of deputy chief executive and play a key role in leading the organisation in its next phase. Having worked previously with Ian and so many of the team, it’s exciting to be going back, taking with me everything I have learnt in the last decade. I am driven by a real passion for social housing and the opportunity to deliver life changing services for tenants and creating a more diverse and inclusive society. Knowing that this aligns with Plus Dane’s ambition was a key factor in me deciding that this was the right move for me.
Ian Reed chief executive at Plus Dane said:
I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of our executive recruitment. Having included Board, customers and colleagues in the process, to get a unanimous decision on the preferred candidates, in what was a really strong field, is both exciting and reassuring. Paul has been at Plus Dane for 13 months and has established himself with our teams and customers so its great that he’s staying with us. I’m also really looking forward to welcoming Claire back, she’s one of our own and returns with a wealth of experience that will strengthen Plus Dane’s leadership further and help overcome the challenges facing our customers and the housing sector more widely.
