WOMEN in Property (WiP) has announced that Jennifer Winyard, from Barratt Homes Yorkshire West, will become its next national chair.
Jennifer, who is senior strategic land & planning manager at Barratt Homes Yorkshire West, will take up the post for one year from 1 March.
WiP is a national influencing and networking membership organisation for the built environment sector, established in 1987 to help improve gender parity in the industry.
After joining Women in Property in 2007, Jennifer has been Yorkshire & North-East branch chair, a mentoring ambassador and Student Awards ambassador, leading the organisation’s National Student Awards programme. She has also been re-elected to the RTPI’s general assembly where members debate planning policy and practice.
Outgoing chair, Chithra Marsh of Buttress Architects, will support Jennifer in her role, as will Emma Richman, director of operations at Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, who becomes national vice chair on 1 March.
Jennifer said, “Encouraging girls to consider a career in property and construction has been a major focus for me, throughout my professional life. My lived experience of this industry highlights the fantastic scope it offers across all sectors. There is still more to do to encourage more people, particularly girls and young women, to make it their future too. I want to help change mindsets and unlock the potential they offer.
“Programmes in the sector, such as Barratt’s and Women in Property’s school outreach, Student Awards and Mentoring programmes, which run across the UK, are an important part of ensuring that the new generation comes into property and construction.”
David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments, added, “Jennifer’s appointment as chair of Women in Property reflects her determination to attract more women into the sector, and then to provide the mentorship that enables them to succeed across a wide variety of roles. She will bring boundless energy and insight to this new role, which will benefit the wider property and construction sector.”
