Bolton at Home appoints Lord as chief exec

Bolton Council's existing arm's length management organisation for housing has appointed Jon Lord as its new chief executive.

Forty six year old Lord, who is from Bolton, will be taking up the role in April this year, and will succeed George Caswell as chief executive.

He is currently chief officer for community and private sector housing at the council and Bolton at Home. For the last two years he has also led a team looking at developing a new build agreement for Bolton, through Bolton's transforming estates' programme.

As chief executive, Lord will oversee the conclusion of the public consultation concerning the potential transfer of housing stock from Bolton Council to Bolton at Home, which aims to transform the organisation and the way social housing is managed in the borough.

Lord started a career in housing in 1987, when he gained experience in management and tenant participation schemes, before being appointed in 1995 as access and advice manager at Bolton Council.

In 2001, he was promoted to chief officer and in 2007 was awarded an OBE for services to housing.

Lord said: "I am delighted to be appointed as chief executive. My vision for the future of Bolton at Home is to ensure the organisation continues to be a great place to work and strives to be one of the most customer and partner friendly arm's length management organisations in the country.

"The coming months are a really exciting time for the organisation and I am looking forward to working with our customers and partners to lead the way in how social housing is managed and delivered."

Bolton at Home manages 18,200 council owned properties and the neighbourhoods in which they are located.

George Caswell joined Bolton Council in 1983 as assistant director of property. He was promoted to director of housing in 1998, before taking up the role of chief executive of the newly formed Bolton at Home in 2002.