Women in Estate Agency (WiEA) has appointed three new board members and confirmed two permanent appointments following a structured selection process as the organisation continues to expand its influence across the property sector.
Neil Cobbold, Matt Baldock and Katy Billany have joined the board after being identified by existing board members and approved through a formal voting process.
The appointments come as WiEA continues to grow its community, training programme, partnership network, podcast and annual conference, with the organisation positioning itself for its next phase of development.
A significant addition is the return of co-founder Liana Loporto-Browne, who rejoins the board after taking a year away to focus on her business. Her return reunites one of the founders who helped establish the organisation’s mission to improve gender equality across the estate agency profession.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Danielle Nash and Kelly Gardner have also been confirmed as permanent board members after initially joining in interim capacities. Nash supported the delivery of WiEA’s annual conference, while Gardner joined the board during Loporto-Browne’s absence.
The organisation also announced that board members Iain McKenzie and Ben Madden are stepping down after completing their terms, while Amy Shields will move into a new WiEA Champion role focused on supporting local communities.
Verona Frankish (main picture), chair of Women in Estate Agency, says the appointments had been made following a carefully managed process designed to bring experienced industry voices into the organisation.
She says: “We took real care over these appointments. Candidates were identified from across the industry, put forward collectively, and voted on by the full board before any decisions were made.”
COLLABORATION
Frankish adds that WiEA had maintained its approach of ensuring male representation on the board, believing that progress across the industry required collaboration rather than division.
She said: “The quality of the people who came through this process tells you everything about where WiEA is right now. They are all industry leaders who didn’t need to do this. They chose to.”
Loporto-Browne said returning to the board felt both exciting and natural, having watched the organisation continue to grow during her absence.
She said: “What started as a place for women in estate agency to connect and support each other has grown into something with real influence across the sector.”
Women in Estate Agency was established to promote equality across the property profession and today supports members through networking, training, events, partnerships and mentoring initiatives designed to help women progress within the industry.
The expanded board now comprises 13 members drawn from across the property sector, reflecting the organisation’s growing reach and influence.
