Simon Wake

Board Member & RECC* Member

In my professional life, I was a solicitor specialising in commercial property, which gave me plenty of experience in development projects, including those involving housing. I was also Compliance Officer for Legal Practice at my firm, which meant I had overall responsibility for making sure we met our regulatory obligations. I spent more than 20 years as a partner, including six years as Managing Partner during challenging economic times, which taught me how organisations need to adapt to survive and thrive.

I grew up, lived and had my career in the Tees Valley, and it has given me a great deal over the past 60 years. It is a great place to live and work, but it is also an area with problems, not least in the housing sphere. I wanted to give something back to the area when I retired, and I felt that I had something to offer North Star. Everyone should have a decent place to live, as people’s health, educational achievement and lives are improved by it, and at North Star we all believe that we can provide good housing for our customers.

I am a big fan of rugby union and was delighted to be able to travel with friends to the Rugby World Cup in France in the autumn of 2023. It was a great experience, only marred by England failing to make it to the final!