Catalyst appoints chairman

Housing association Catalyst has appointed Ravi Rajagopal as chairman. He will join as chair designate on 1 November and take on the full responsibilities when current chair Richard Brown retires on 1 April 2021. Rajagopal is chair of Fortis Healthcare and is an independent director at Airtel Africa, the second-largest telecoms company in Africa. He holds a range of positions on various boards and worked in M&A at Diageo for 20 years. He said: “I always wanted to devote my time post-career to societal and community improvement. The chair at Catalyst is a very appealing opportunity at a commercially minded business that makes a meaningful social impact at scale. The provision of social housing, done well, brings dignity to people and addresses inequality.” Ian McDermott, chief executive of Catalyst, said: “Ravi brings experience of significantly improving businesses, blended with a strong personal commitment to charities and social improvement. “His skills and experience will be hugely valuable as we focus on delivering our corporate purpose, vision and values to deliver homes people love.” To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette Photo © Catalyst