Appointment of Non-Executive Director

RNS Number : 5474Y

Unite Group PLC

27 January 2014

 



27 January 2014

 

THE UNITE GROUP PLC

('UNITE', the 'Group', or the 'Company')

UNITE APPOINTS ELIZABETH MCMEIKAN AS NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The UNITE Group, the UK's leading developer and manager of student accommodation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Liz McMeikan as Non-Executive Director, effective 1 February 2014. She has been appointed to the Board as part of an orderly succession plan to replace Richard Walker, currently Chair of UNITE's Remuneration and Health & Safety Committees, who will be stepping down from the Board in May 2014 following nine years' service.

Liz is currently Senior Independent Director at FTSE 250 pub group JD Wetherspoon and family-owned wine merchants Direct Wines. She is also a Non-Executive Director at import/export fruit and vegetable company, Fresca Group Ltd, and CH & Co Ltd, a privately-owned catering company. In November 2012 Liz was appointed Chair of Moat Homes Ltd, a leading housing association working in the South East.

Liz has significant experience in customer-focused businesses, Tesco and Colgate Palmolive, where she was successful in driving growth through a thorough understanding of customer needs and an innovative marketing approach. Her roles have included Stores Board Human Resources Director for Tesco, Tesco Express Managing Director and Tesco France Development Director.

Commenting on the appointment, Phil White, Chairman of The UNITE Group, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Liz to the UNITE board and would like to thank Richard for the valuable contribution he has made during his nine years' service. Liz brings with her extensive consumer-focused experience as well as a great range of skills from established FTSE companies, which will help support UNITE's continued development and emphasis on customer service."

Liz McMeikan, said:

"UNITE is a very strong and highly regarded force among student accommodation providers and fulfils an important role in the UK's HE sector and in students' success. I am looking forward to working with management as the Group continues to invest in and to develop further its brand to drive the Company's future growth."

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

The UNITE Group plc Sally Quigg, Head of Corporate Communications Rebecca Murch, Corporate Communications Manager	Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Bell Pottinger Victoria Geoghegan Nick Lambert Elizabeth Snow	Tel: [phone]

Notes to editors:

About The UNITE Group

The UNITE Group is the UK's leading developer and manager of student accommodation, with a business model that focuses on two core areas:

1.         Development and Asset Management: UNITE undertakes the acquisition, planning and development of purpose-built student accommodation in the UK. Through the continuous assessment of quality and location of its investment portfolio, UNITE is well positioned to deliver value-adding strategies to those assets where further opportunities are identified. Working on behalf of its partners, UNITE acts as Fund Manager for the UNITE UK Student Accommodation Fund in which it owns a 16.3% share. UNITE also manages a number of Joint Venture partnerships.

2.         Professional property management: UNITE is home to 41,000 students in over 130 properties across 23 of the UK's strongest university cities, and has consistently proven high occupancy levels across its portfolio.

The Group works closely with higher education institutions in order to deliver high quality, well-located student accommodation at affordable prices in strong higher education markets. In 2012, UNITE won the South West Business in the Community (BITC) Carbon Reduction Award for its environmental initiatives and was recognised as the residential European regional sector leader for sustainability by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

Founded in 1991, UNITE is a FTSE 250 company listed on the London Stock Exchange (UTG). For more information, please visit www.unite-group.co.uk or www.unite-students.com.  

 

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