Grainger: Landlord is first FTSE 350 company to appoint women to three most senior board positions

Helen Gordon will join as chief executive next month alongside finance director Vanessa Simms and chair Baroness Ford

Campaigners have hailed a “breakthrough” as the landlord Grainger became the first FTSE 350 company to appoint women to its three most senior board positions.

Grainger appointed Vanessa Simms as its next finance director. She will start next year. Meanwhile the new chief executive, Helen Gordon, gets ready to join the company next month. The residential landlord’s board is chaired by Baroness Ford.

Ms Simms’ appointment was welcomed by the 30 per cent Club, which is campaigning to achieve 30 per cent female representation in boardrooms.

Katushka Giltsoff, a partner at the Miles Partnership and an organiser of the 30 per cent Club, said: “This is a positive step and a breakthrough in gender diversity for boards.”

The 30 per cent Club’s chair, Brenda Trenowden, added: “The 30 per cent Club’s focus is firmly on the executive pipeline to create sustainable change, and this is a very encouraging development”.

High on the list of the trio’s priorities at Grainger will be fending off a campaign from the activist investor Crystal Amber. It has a 3 per cent stake in the landlord, which manages a portfolio of 20,000 homes worth more than £3bn.

Crystal Amber has said the company is ripe for a takeover by an institutional investor.

The activist has previously targeted companies including the chocolatier Thorntons and film studio Pinewood.

Ms Simms joins Grainger from the student accommodation provider Unite Group. She replaces Mark Greenwood, who is retiring.