The socially conscious fund manager, Thriving Investments, has today announced the appointment of two new senior roles as it builds on its ambition of bringing 20,000 homes under management by 2034.
Building on the milestone of 5,000 homes under management earlier this year, these two appointments are set to strengthen the organisation’s unique offering and support its ambitious growth plans.
Starting in September, Lydia Merry joins from Schroders into the newly created Director of Investor Relations and Product role. Drawing on her 15 years’ experience in investment management, Lydia will be responsible for expanding the funds on offer, bringing in new business and helping the organisation meet the ambition of 20,000 new homes under management by 2034.
Working across all funds, Lydia will develop investment solutions that address a range of housing needs while delivering positive outcomes for residents, communities and investors, supporting the wider Places for People Group’s ambition of delivering £1billionof social value in the next few years.
Speaking on her appointment, Lydia commented: “I’m excited to be joining Thriving Investments at this time. Not only are they bringing forward institutional investment to tackle the housing crisis, but they’re doing it with purpose, highlighting how public and private partnerships can provide homes where they are needed most while putting people’s health, wellbeing and access to services is at the heart of their decisions.
“With big ambitions to hit 20,000 homes by 2034, I look forward to working across the business to bring forward new opportunities that generate positive outcomes for both people and our investors.”
Lydia’s previous roles include Frogmore Real Estate Partners, CBRE Investment Management, Amundi and ANZ and she has worked across the full investor lifecycle, including product development, fundraising, investor relations and reporting. Most recently, she was at Schroders, where she supported two real estate impact funds and helped shape the firm's impact investing approach across real estate strategies.
Annemarie Roberts will join in October as Managing Director of ReSI Homes, the for-profit registered provider owned by ReSI LP. Annemarie will lead ReSI Homes through its next phase of growth, with responsibility for operations, customer service and regulatory performance as the organisation continues to expand its housing portfolio. ReSI LP, the affordable housing fund managed by Thriving Investments, has raised over £470mn of equity from pension funds and invested into a portfolio of more than 2,300 affordable homes, with more than 1,300 completed and occupied by residents.
Commenting on her appointment, Annemarie said: “Throughout my career I have been passionate about the role housing plays in creating opportunity and improving lives.
“I am excited to bring my experience across customer experience, property management and transformation to support ReSI Homes through its next phase of growth. The organisation has built strong foundations and a clear commitment to customers, and I look forward to building on that foundation to deliver an even stronger customer experience as the organisation continues to grow. Such a strong focus on customer service sets Thriving Investments apart and demonstrates its commitment to investors and customers alike.”
Annemarie is a Chartered Member of the CIH and holds an MBA from the University of Bath. She has previously served as a trustee for Crawley Open House, a homelessness charity, and her sector-leading customer service transformation programmes received national recognition by the Institute of Customer Service.
Both appointments come at a time when housing need has never been greater and the role of institutional investment in helping make schemes viable is increasingly important. With Thriving Investments’ ambitious growth plans, these new roles will be integral to its success.
Speaking on the latest appointments, Cath Webster, CEO of Thriving Investments commented: “At Thriving Investments, we have a diversity of funds that help bring forward investment into a number of different tenures across the housing ecosystem.
“With housing front and centre of the political agenda, investors are looking for specialists that can deliver a strong return and a positive outcome for people in areas where homes are most needed.
“I’m delighted to have Lydia and Annemarie join us at such a pivotal time. Both bring unique skills and experience to the team, and I’m excited to see how they can further shape our offering and enable us to invest in more communities across the UK. Together, they strengthen our leadership team and boost our ability to deliver more homes, attract greater investment and create positive social impact for people across the UK.”