The following appointments will join the West Kent Board at the Annual General Meeting in June 2023.
The appointments have been made to fill one vacancy as well as replace Colin Wilby, Peter Kasch and Judith Collings, who retire from the board this year having reached the maximum nine years in office this summer.
West Kent’s new board members are:
Piers White MBE – Chair Designate 
Piers brings a wealth of experience as both a Chair and a Non-Executive Director in several charitable and not-for-profit organisations, including Croydon College, BRE Group, NHS Blood and Transplant and in the housing sector through The Hyde Group and currently Halesworth Ltd.
Piers says: “I have a passion for the provision of good quality social housing as it is the bedrock on which to build good life chances for everyone. I know about West Kent, living locally, and I am delighted to be joining a well-regarded organisation at such an exciting time.”
Abdool Kara
Abdool has a broad understanding of the Housing Sector gained from roles in local authorities, the Audit Commission and Swale Borough Council as CEO. He also had previous non-executive director roles with Folio (a Nottinghill Genesis subsidiary), Solace and Tower Hamlets ALMO. He’s currently at the National Audit Office with a portfolio covering DLUHC, DHSC and DfE, leading on financial audits and value-for-money reviews. He also leads on their People programme. Abdool is also a strategic adviser to the Wales Centre for Public Policy.
Abdool says: "I am passionate about social housing, I started my local government career working in homelessness services many years ago, and this formed the basis of my professional development. Being part of West Kent gives me the chance to reconnect with my professional roots and I am excited to join an organisation with such an excellent reputation."
Lisa Keslake
Lisa has over 20 years’ experience of working with government, public sector and not-for-profit organisations. She started her career as an auditor and management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers where she qualified as a chartered accountant. Over the last decade, she has held senior roles in healthcare in the areas of health policy and integrated care. She is experienced in strategy, transformation, and regulation.
Lisa says: "Throughout my career, I have focused on supporting organisations to strive to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people and communities they serve, focusing on partnership working and collaboration. I am delighted to support West Kent to deliver on its’ ambitions."
Alex Yew 
Alex has had a career for more than 25 years in law, banking and investments. He recently left his executive career to pursue a non-executive, portfolio career and now sits on the boards of several companies and non-profit organisations. In his last executive role, Alex was a Senior Advisor to the CEO and Senior Managing Director at an international infrastructure investor, where he held leadership roles in project finance, new markets, strategy, partnerships, Latin America and Europe. He covered a range of sectors within the infrastructure and energy areas including real estate development, affordable and social housing, and retirement living.
Alex was born and raised in Malaysia, educated and worked in Singapore, and has lived in the UK for the last 19 years.
Alex says, "I have always sought to create value for the local communities through improved local infrastructure, public buildings or creating jobs with the projects I have worked on. I have lived in Kent, in Sevenoaks, for the last 19 years and am pleased to be joining a local organisation that has such a clear vision for delivering for its existing residents and communities but also for future residents."
Tracy Allison, Chief Executive of West Kent shared her thoughts: “We are extremely excited about these new members joining the board. The next few years will bring a range of opportunities as we continue working on our ambitious 2020-2025 corporate strategy. We are fortunate to have such talented members joining the board to help us work towards our strategic goals and I, along with the Executive Team, look forward to working with them.”
“A big thanks to our current board and involved residents for giving them the time to meet all the final candidates. A special thank you to Colin, Peter and Judith for all their support and expertise as board members over the last nine years.”