Four new members have been appointed to the board of Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator. 

Sadie Morgan, Mark Rennison, Olivia Scanlon and Vanessa Murden join the boardroom with immediate effect, a move that increases the board’s gender diversity and takes its non-executive members from six to ten.

The appointments follow last week’s news that Sir Edward Lister had resigned as chair of Homes England to concentrate on his role as the PM’s chief strategic advisor. Simon Dudley is currently deputising as interim chair while a successor is recruited. 

Sadie Morgan, founding director of architectural practice dRMM, and also a commissioner and design group chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: “As part of the board’s agenda to build more sustainable and high-quality houses, my energy will be focused on delivering homes for people and places. I understand how vital the role of Homes England is to help house our nation, and I am committed to ensuring we do so and to deliver a quality of life everyone deserves.

Mark Rennison, finance director for Nationwide Building Society, said: “I am delighted to join the Homes England board and look forward to helping to deliver a sustainable strategy for the creation of more high-quality affordable housing across the country.”

Olivia Scanlon, chief operating officer at Orchard Global Asset Management LLP, said: “Homes England has an incredibly forward looking, innovative approach to addressing the country’s affordable housing shortage and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be involved.”

Vanessa Murden, chief operating officer for Lloyds Banking Group’s retail division, said: “I’m looking forward to joining the Homes England Board and working with the team to grow access to affordable housing.”