Board and management team

Executive Board

With over 110 years of combined housebuilding experience, our Executive Board upholds our values. They are committed to guiding Avant towards a successful, sustainable future, building quality homes for everyone.

Let us introduce you to our Executive Board.

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Jeff Fairburn


Chairman

Responsibility – Overall responsibility for the strategic and operational direction of the Group.

Background – 37 years of UK housebuilding experience, previously CEO for a FTSE 100 developer.

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Richard Stenhouse


Chief Financial Officer

Responsibility – Supporting the Chairman developing Group strategy with direct responsibility for finance, information technology functions as well as risk management and sustainability initiatives.

Background – 23 years of finance, tax, and regulatory experience within the UK housebuilding industry.

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Rachel Cowper


Company Secretary and General Legal Counsel

Responsibility – Providing strategic legal and governance advice to the Business

Background – Over 24 years of industry experience including as a partner and Head of Residential Development at a leading law firm.

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Mark Cook


Regional Chairman, All Regions

Responsibility – Overseeing the regional operations throughout the company.

Background – Over 33 years of UK housebuilding experience, previously holding Managing Director and Non-Executive Director roles at other major housing developers and industry bodies.

Regional Managing Directors

Each of our regions across England and Scotland is led by a Regional Managing Director. Overseen by our Regional Chairman, this team has extensive housebuilding experience, with a breadth of backgrounds covering all disciplines.

Read their biographies below.

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Jim Wilkinson


Region –
 Scotland

Background – Finance and operational – A big 4 qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of UK housebuilding experience at a FTSE 100 developer.

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Andrew Finnigan


Region –
 North East - Interim Managing Director

Background – 24 years of UK housebuilding experience with a commercial focus but most recently as an Operations Director.

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Richard Hosie


Region –
West Yorkshire and Interim Managing Director of North Yorkshire

Background – Technical and engineering – 20 years of UK housebuilding experience, previously holding a managing director position at a FTSE 100 developer.

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Matthew Barker

 

Region – Central

Background – Land – Over 25 years of housebuilding experience, holding Land Director roles at other major housebuilders, before progressing to regional directorship at a FTSE 100 developer.

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Ben Felton


Region –
 East Midlands

Background – Commercial – 18 years of UK housebuilding experience, previously holding a managing director position at FTSE 100 quoted developer for several regions.

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Martin Smith


Region –
 South Wales and Interim Managing Director of West Midlands

Background – Construction - 38 years’ experience working in the commercial, sub-contracting and residential sectors. 24 years spent with residential FTSE 100 businesses and private sector housing, holding senior positions, with 11 years’ experience as a Managing Director.