Octavia announces the appointment of Stephen Jack as new Board Chair

Octavia has announced that it has appointed Stephen Jack as the new Chair of its Board. He will be taking over from Sandeep Katwala, who leaves the role at the end of his term as Chair in April 2023.

Stephen is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and had a 30-year executive career as a Finance Director and CFO in financial services. He has considerable board and governance experience across the private, public, and voluntary sectors. His previous board roles include being the Chair of the Independent Living Fund, the Vice Chair of Anchor Hanover, and a Trustee of Royal Mencap Society.

He is currently the Vice Chair of The Cambridge Building Society, a director of MUFG Securities EMEA plc and a board member of Golden Lane Housing. In 2014 Stephen received an OBE for services to disabled people.

Stephen Jack said: “Octavia has a long history of providing homes, building communities, and creating opportunities for people in London. I am very excited about leading the organisation as it meets the challenge of building on this legacy.”

Sandeep Katwala, who is stepping down as Chair at the end of his six-year term, said: “It has been an honour to serve Octavia and its residents over these past six years. I have been fortunate in having the opportunity to work with some wonderful people, both on the Board and across the organisation.

“At times, during the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy and Covid, it has been challenging and the environment for providers of social housing has become increasingly difficult. The Board and the team have worked hard to adapt the organisation to meet these challenges. I want to say a personal thank you to my colleagues on the Board, and Sandra and the team for their support. I extend my congratulations and best wishes to Stephen Jack. I am sure he will do his best to continue the Octavia legacy.”

Octavia Chief Executive Sandra Skeete said: “Octavia owes a great deal to Sandeep’s leadership and commitment to the organisation and I have valued his support and challenge throughout my time at Octavia. Sandeep has been instrumental in improving our offer and evolving Octavia to meet external challenges facing the sector. I look forward to building on our achievements with our new Chair and very much welcome Stephen’s appointment.”