The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast
The housing crisis looms large. The UK’s crying out for housing stock, and new builds can play a huge role in the recovery. Diversity and inclusion is finally getting the attention it deserves at a strategic level. Although there’s plenty of work still to do. And environmental concerns are taking centre stage, with time running out to reach ambitious targets in net zero carbon emissions. Suffice to say, the UK housing sector is going through a period of great change right now. With everything developing at such a pace, it can be hard to keep your finger on the pulse. That’s why we’ve launched The Housing Industry Podcast. Featuring lively conversations with key leaders in the housing sector, The Housing Industry Podcast will provide real value to anyone working in the UK housing market who cares about making a difference.
The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast
Making a Merger a Success with Mark Pearson
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The number of mergers in the housing industry has been growing in recent years. But with mergers can come challenges. Mark Pearson, Managing Director at 54North Homes joins us this week to speak about his journey into housing, and the story of 54North Homes so far.
Mark took up the MD role at 54North around 9 months ago and now holds 26 years of experience in the sector. Mark shares what he’s witnessed of how the housing landscape has changed in that time.
Mark oversaw a massive period of transformational change during his time with Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association before the organisation merged with York Housing Association under the Karbon Homes banner towards the end of 2022.
Mark shares with us how he overcame the challenges he’s faced so far. We dive deep into the merger and learn about how Mark and his team prioritised customer-focused aspects whilst ensuring that culture and staff engagement doesn’t fall by the wayside.
Mark shares with us the benefits that have come from the merger and how they’ve retained autonomy and identity. Finally, we touch on the challenges that Mark expects to see in the near future.
In this episode, we cover:
- Mark’s journey into the housing sector.
- What’s changed in the housing landscape in the last 26 years?
- Advice on staying calm in challenging periods and communicating in a way
that doesn’t cause panic. - How to prioritise successfully.
- How to ensure that the best of both worlds are retained as a result of a
merger. - Ensuring that colleagues are supported throughout periods of change within
an organisation. - The meaning behind the name ‘54North’.
- What near-future challenges for 54North does Mark envision?
- How can we attract new talent to the sector?