Piers Williamson has been named the new Chair of Sustainability for Housing (SfH), the board that oversees the Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS) for the social housing sector in the United Kingdom.
He will be succeeding Brendan Sarsfield, who is stepping down after three years. Williamson, who recently concluded a 22-year tenure as CEO of The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC), brings extensive experience from both the social housing and financial sectors.
Sarah Forster, CEO and Co-founder of The Good Economy, which is the secretariat to SfH said, “During the recruitment process, Piers stood out due to his wealth of experience in both the social housing and financial sectors. His commitment to the social housing sector is well-known and we also note that, under his leadership, THFC was an avid supporter and early adopter of the SRS.”
Williamson will assume his new role in September 2024. He said, “The ESG and sustainability agendas have never been more important and I’m excited to build on the momentum that SfH has already created in the sector. Despite extreme financial challenges, housing associations have made strong progress on ESG over the last three years, thanks to the SRS. I am determined to expand on this progress and help social landlords rise to the challenge that net zero poses.”
Brendan Sarsfield, outgoing Chair of SfH said, “Piers’ appointment is great news for the ESG movement in social housing. His deep knowledge of the sector will stand SfH in good stead along with the expertise provided by the existing board members.”