Empiric Student Property reports death of chairman – The Board of Empiric Student Property plc says that it is deeply saddened to announce that its non-executive chairman has died.
Stuart Beevor, a non-executive director of the company, has agreed to assume the role of acting non-executive chairman with immediate effect.
Mr Beevor said: “We are all deeply shocked by this tragic news and our thoughts are very much with Brenda’s family at this difficult time. It was a great privilege to know Brenda personally, to work with her and to experience her direct straightforward but inclusive approach. She will be hugely missed.”
Baroness Dean was also chairman of Residential Secure Income REIT. Robert Whiteman will take on the role of acting chairman there, stepping down as chairman of the Audit Committee to be replaced by Robert Gray. Mr Whiteman said “We are all shocked by this tragic news and our thoughts are with Brenda’s family. It was a great privilege to know her personally and to work alongside her and she will be very much missed.”
Baroness Dean was probably best known as the first woman to lead a major trade union, the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades or SOGAT. She became a peer in 1993 and a member of the Privy Council in 1998. At the time of her death, she was a member of the group board of Places for People and a member of the Business Oversight Board of the Law Society.
Baroness Dean was for nine years (2004–2013) a non-executive director at Taylor Wimpey acting as a member of the remuneration, audit and nomination committees at various times. She was also the chairman of the Covent Garden Market Authority (2005–2013), and as its chairman led the work to secure the redevelopment of the 57 acre site. Amongst many other activities, Baroness Dean was chairman of the Housing Corporation (now the Homes and Communities Agency), which managed private and public funding in excess of £50 billion in the sector. She was also chairman of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.
ESP / RESI : Empiric Student Property reports death of chairman