The Institute of Directors (IoD) has appointed Delroy Beverley as regional chairman for the Yorkshire and North East super-region.
He becomes the first BAME chairman in the 117-year history of the business leaders’ organisation, succeeding Jon Geldart, who was named IoD director general last autumn.
Educated at both Oxford and Cambridge, Delroy has more than 25 years of business and executive leadership experience spanning housing, business and government.
In 2014, he was appointed as chairman of the board at Bradford University School of Management. Prior to this, he served as deputy chairman of the Joseph Rowntree Trust Housing Board, part of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which researches issues surrounding social disadvantages and deprivation within society.
He was the first person from within social housing to win a prestigious IoD Director of the Year award, taking home the CSR / not-for-profit award in 2015. In 2018, he was named one of the most influential BAME leaders in the housing sector by Inside Housing.
He is currently executive director at one of the country’s largest housing groups, Nottingham City Homes.
Mr Beverley said: “It is a huge privilege and honour to be appointed as the new chairman for Yorkshire and North East. Following in the footsteps of our director general means that I will need to create my own footprints in the sand, so to speak.
“Being an effective chairman is a skill without parallel. Being able to influence through effective diplomacy is as important as knowing your way around the bottom line, whether it be KPIs or profit margins.
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“I’ve learned that paying real attention matters most; knowing that change is often what’s happening at the margins, not around the boardroom table. In that regard, I will ensure that we listen to what our members and the business community are telling us, and make sure this is reflected in our messages at a national level and in how we support them, including new members.”
As IoD chairman, he will oversee an influential super region, created by the merger of the Yorkshire and North East regions in 2019 to form a powerful business lobbying voice for the North of England. The region has six branches, each with its own chair and committee to support local business communities.
His role will include advocacy and influencing on behalf of the IoD, while supporting branch chairs. He will act as a champion for the Yorkshire and North East business economy, including the public sector and policy makers.
IoD regional director Natalie Sykes added: “It has remained the best kept secret that Delroy is one of the premier business and political voices within the Northern Powerhouse and, as our new chairman, he will ensure that the voice of Northern business is heard in the corridors of power, whilst leading our ambitions around driving investment in our region and reaching out to the membership.
“A thriving economy and resilient business community needs the talents of all and we are delighted to have him leading our regional board - creativity and ingenuity comes from diversity.”