Dame Alison Nimmo has joined the board of Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College.
The former Crown Estate boss will provide property and sustainability advice to the company, which is developing the £500m Oxford North global innovation district.
Since her earliest role in the industry as a planning officer in Westminster in the late 1980s, Nimmo has racked up more than 30 years of experience, helping to deliver the award-winning “big build” for the London 2012 Olympic Games and leading city-centre regeneration projects in Sheffield and Manchester.
In addition, she is currently a non-executive director advising the UK government and a member of Imperial College London’s property committee. She previously held non-executive roles at Berkeley Group and St Modwen Properties, as well as being chair of the CBI’s economic growth board and a trustee and COP26 ambassador for the UK Green Building Council.
She was awarded a DBE for public services and services to the exchequer in 2019.
Thomas White Oxford has also appointed Matt Dawkes to its board as chief financial officer. He was previously finance director for North West Cambridge and Argent Group’s head of finance.
In March 2021, outline consent was granted by Oxford City Council for the overall 64-acre Oxford North masterplan to deliver more than 900,000 sq ft of laboratories and workspace, 480 new homes, three new parks and significant upgrades to the local infrastructure. Detailed consent was also granted for the first new laboratories and workspaces, link road and Central Park. Enabling infrastructure works started in August 2021.
Hill Group has been appointed residential development partner to deliver around 318 new homes, of which 35% will be affordable, along with the first public park and new streets, at Canalside.
Chairman Bernard Taylor said: “The board is committed to providing a new sustainable place for Oxford which meets the current high demand from businesses wishing to be part of the ‘Oxford Ecosystem’ and promotes model levels of sustainability to ensure we are creating a vibrant, state-of-the-art new district.
“Alison’s considerable experience will be of huge benefit to Thomas White Oxford, and I am delighted she has agreed to join our board. Matt’s wide financial management experience will be key as the project is delivered. Our Oxford North investment will deliver an extraordinary place to live and work and be a facilitator of life-improving science and technology discoveries made in Oxford, for everyone’s future benefit.”
Chief executive William Donger added: “As this major project for Oxford is formed, it is a natural progression to bolster the board to reflect the ambitions of this new place. I warmly welcome Alison and Matt, and all to the new board and look forward to working with them to deliver our projects, in particular our globally ambitious new district. We have assembled a superb team that connects academia and industry, which will be to the benefit of those who live, work and visit Oxford North.”
Nimmo said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining this exceptional board as Oxford North enters its delivery phase. I hope that my property and sustainability experience can help us deliver something really special for Oxford that makes a really positive impact – economically, socially and environmentally.”
Dawkes said: “I am proud to bring my corporate and financial mixed-use development experience to the board as it continues its impressive strategy to deliver this major new project for Oxford, the UK and globally.”
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