Chris Simpson joined as Executive Director of JRHT in March 2019, bringing over 25 years of experience in Social Housing. He has worked in various roles including consulting for government housing projects and holding positions with housing associations in Manchester and London.
He holds an MSc in Housing from the London School of Economics and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Housing since 1995.
Before joining JRHT, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation for 10 years and as an interim Chief Executive Officer at West Northwest Homes, both in Leeds.
As Executive Director of JRHT, Chris oversees all aspects of the housing trust’s operations on a day-to-day basis. This includes organisational direction, ensuring performance, regulatory compliance and engaging with colleagues and residents.
The JRHT Executive Director operates effectively as a Chief Executive of the housing trust, working closely with the JRHT Executive team, and being directly accountable to the JRHT Board, as well as to other stakeholders such as residents and regulators.
Chris is is line managed by Paul Kissack, JRF Group Chief Executive Officer. Paul works with Chris to ensure that the strategic direction of JRHT aligns with the goals of the JRF Trustees (as the governors of the parent body, the JRF). This includes ensuring sound governance, performance and the planning across the group and providing efficient shared services as needed across both JRF and JRHT.