Margaret Whoriskey
Board Role: Chair
Margaret Whoriskey has been a Board Member since 2018 and Chair of Hanover’s Board since 2025.
Margaret is Head of Innovation for Care and Wellbeing at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI), University of Strathclyde. With over 20 years’ experience in strategic roles within the Scottish Government and NHS Fife, she has led major change programmes across health and social care.
Until January 2024, Margaret directed Scotland’s national Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme, working across NHS, local government, housing, and third sector partners to scale digital solutions that improve citizen access and outcomes. She also champions Digital Inclusion and leads Digital Lifelines Scotland, supporting people at risk of drug harm.
Margaret is also a Trustee of ENABLE Scotland. Within DHI, she drives innovation in integrated care, social care, and housing through digital technologies.
Date of first appointment: 15 March 2018
James Rowney
Board Role: Member
James has recently retired as Head of Solutions at the Royal Bank of Scotland. His team provided specialist advice to corporate and commercial customers at critical times. He has a keen interest in housing and has been involved in many aspects of it over a number of years.
Date of first appointment: 28 September 2017
Committee Role: Vice Chair of the Audit, Risk & Performance Committee
Ashley Campbell CIHCM
Board Role: Vice Chair
Ashley is the Policy and Practice Manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland covering a broad range of issues across the housing sector and across tenures. Ashley is also a trustee of the Existing Homes Alliance Scotland, a charity which campaigns for improvements to homes to tackle climate change and reduce fuel poverty.
Date of first appointment: 26 November 2020
Committee Role: Member of the People Committee
Robert T. Rowe
Board Role: Member
Robert has been a Hanover tenant in Dumfries and Galloway since retiring 3 years ago. Previously he worked as an Engineer specialised in Renewable Energy for the United Nations and other International agencies around the world. His interest is to work towards seeing all Hanover properties become Carbon Neutral in emissions by 2030 if possible. Robert holds a graduate degree in International Development Studies from Morgan State University in the USA and did undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at Solent University.
Date of first appointment: 26 November 2020
Alan G. Stewart
Board Role: Member
Alan is a real estate solicitor and a partner at Morton Fraser MacRoberts in Edinburgh where he works in the commercial real estate division. He has over 20 years’ experience working with property companies, developers and corporate occupiers. He has a particular interest in the role that organisations in the housing sector can play to support those living with dementia.
Date of first appointment: 26 November 2020
Committee Role: Chair of the People Committee
Adele Erwin
Board Role: Member
Adele studied Mechanical Engineering with Management Techniques at the University of Edinburgh and has over 20 years’ technology digital delivery and transformation experience working across consulting, financial services and public sector organisations. She has an interest in accessibility and assistive technology to help people easily access services through digital channels.
Date of first appointment: 26 November 2020
Committee Role: Member of the Audit, Risk & Performance Committee
Chris Elliott
Board Role: Member
Chris is a retired transformation and procurement consultant specialising in housing and government sectors. He volunteers for a number of charities who support elderly and vulnerable people. Chris is also a co-opted member of a police fire and crime panel.
Date of first appointment: 22 May 2025
Committee Role: Member of the People Committee
Kathleen McAdams
Board Role: Member
Kathleen is a Human Resources professional and Executive Coach and mentor with 30 years’ experience in people management and since 2017 has run her own HR consultancy – Albany HR. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), with additional qualifications in mediation and project management. In her current role, Kathleen supports organisations both nationally and globally, with all aspects of Reward, Employee Engagement, Organisational Design, Employee Relations and Talent Management.
Date of first appointment: 25 May 2023
Committee Role: Vice Chair of the People Committee
Christa Reekie
Board Role: Member
As part of her role as Director of Development and Housing at Scottish Futures Trust Christa was responsible for the implementation of the National Housing Trust, the first mid-market rent initiative in Scotland, and other related affordable housing projects. She is interested in combining her commercial and legal skills with strategic thought, particularly in the housing sector, and also has a keen interest in the realistic implementation of ideas and strategies.
Date of first appointment: 25 May 2023
Committee Role: Member of the Audit, Risk & Performance Committee
Bryony Willett
Board Role: Member
Bryony is Director of the Scotland at Home Group. Previously, she was at Maryhill Housing, having joined in August 2015 as Director of Housing. She then became Chief Executive in 2017. Prior to Maryhill, Bryony worked at Islington Council for nine years having started as a graduate trainee. Her expertise includes strategic planning, housing management, asset management, health and safety, business planning, external funding bids, regeneration options appraisals, resident engagement, service development and contract management. Bryony has previously held Board positions at the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, Thistle Housing Association and Hyelm Housing Association in London.
Date of first appointment: 10 August 2023
Committee Role: Member of the People Committee
Robin Blacklock
Board Role: Member
Robin is a Chartered Surveyor with broad commercial experience, specialising over the past decade in Scotland’s Build to Rent sector. He runs his own consultancy practice with a focus on housing investment and development and founded More Homes More Quickly in response to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to support a more investable approach to rent control. Robin brings commercial insight and a strong understanding of the private rented sector to the Board.
Date of first appointment: 22 May 2025
Committee Role: Member of the Audit, Risk & Performance Committee
Nicola Cooper
Board Role: Member
Nicola has a uniquely interdisciplinary skill set, shaped by over 20 years in leadership roles across social care and the creative sector, with a particular interest in designing for ageing populations. She has led award-winning programmes that embed prevention and self-management into care, shape ethical approaches to AI and data, and build digital capability through inclusive and sustainable innovation.
Date of first appointment: 22 May 2025
Committee Role: Member of the People Committee
Andrew Watson
Board Role: Member
Andrew has had a long-standing involvement with social housing in Scotland, having previously been chair of Berwickshire Housing Association and, more recently, Deputy Chair of the Scottish Housing Regulator. With a background in banking and finance, he has many years’ experience advising both public and private sector clients at a senior level on commercial and strategic matters. He is also on the Court of Queen Margaret University and a Director of Dundee Student Villages.
Date of first appointment: 21 August 2025
Committee Role: Member of the Audit, Risk & Performance Committee
Strategic and organisational functions
Overall leadership and management of Hanover, including:
- Determining our strategy;
- Approving our strategic business plan and its annual review and related performance reporting arrangements, including customer service and quality standards;
- Determining our strategic attitude to risk, including the acceptable degree of risk tolerance and identification of strategic risk-related objectives;
- Ensuring the maintenance of a sound system of internal control and risk management;
- Maintaining an overview of the resourcing of our activities;
- Overall responsibility for our organisational structure; and
- Overall responsibility for compliance with Health and Safety legislation.
Regulation and financial reporting and controls
- Overall responsibility for our financial strategy.
- Approval of the annual financial statements.
- Approval of the annual operating and capital expenditure budgets.
- Approval of the annual return on the Scottish Social Housing Charter.
- An overview of regulatory engagement, including the Annual Assurance Statements which are part of the new regulatory framework.
Board Governance
Standing Orders for the Board and Committees
People Committee – Terms of Reference
Board recruitment
A seat on Hanover’s Board offers you the opportunity to guide our business vision, lead on strategic direction and play a key role in delivering high quality services, defining goals and targets. Periodically, we advertise for new Board members. Adverts will appear on our recruitment page and on a variety of social media and recruitment websites and may also appear in print. If you have any questions about Board membership please email companysecretary@hanover.scot or write to Company Secretary, Hanover Scotland, 95 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH7 6BX.