​Following her session at the 2022 ARCO conference which focused on embracing the increasingly ethnically diverse ageing population and elevating value in the IRC sector, Tade co-founded Women in Retirement Living (WiRL) with an aim to empower women and other under-represented groups in the wider retirement living sector.  
Tade oversees the delivery of ARCO’s commercial partnership programme with responsibility for partnership management, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders across the sector. She is passionate about diversifying the sector and believes that housing with care options for older people and the opportunities of its workforce should be equitably accessible. 
Tade is delighted to work collaboratively with its skilled Board to deliver WiRL’s mission and objectives as well as connect with like-minded individuals and organisations.  

Emily is a Senior Business Development Manager at international law firm Trowers & Hamlins. With more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and business development across the built environment, she brings a deep understanding of how different sectors connect to shape thriving places. Over the past decade, she has worked extensively in the senior and retirement living sector, focusing on how the sector can adapt and innovate to meet changing needs. Her work also spans health and social care, life sciences, planning, construction and energy and sustainability, giving her a broad and joined-up view of the challenges and opportunities that affect the sector.

Her approach is grounded in building relationships and fostering collaboration, whether that’s connecting like-minded people, sparking new ideas, or championing initiatives that promote diversity, inclusion and innovation. Emily is a strong advocate for the role of women in shaping the future of the senior living and retirement sector and is proud to contribute her skills and insight to WiRL’s mission of empowering women across the industry.

Jenny, an expert architect who has worked in the sector for over 20 years, leads the later living team at PRP.
She has delivered award winning housing across tenures, specialising in designing for older people, as well as those with mental health and learning disabilities. Her breadth of experience covers a range of typologies including intergenerational living, integrated retirement communities, retirement housing and care homes.
She has also written and contributed to numerous publications and design guides, across the housing, health and wellbeing sectors.

Philippa was appointed Managing Director for Richmond Villages in October 2017. Philippa is responsible for devising and leading on the implementation of the overall organisational strategy and objectives. In addition Philippa is responsible for overseeing the operational management of the 10 retirement villages located within the UK, whilst seeking and developing other opportunities to expand the portfolio.
After a very successful 4 years as Operations Director at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital, Philippa was promoted to General Manager (CEO) in January 2014. Philippa was then promoted to Acting Health Services General Manager for Bupa UK in May 2016 with the role becoming permanent in August 2016. Prior to joining Bupa Cromwell Hospital Philippa had 10 years of management experience within the NHS, in various services including, Emergency Medicine, Paediatrics, Maternity, A&E, Cardiology and other medical specialties.
Philippa has a BA(Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Westminster.

Lizzie is a partner at Trowers & Hamlins specialising in real estate transactions. She has been working closely with the retirement living sector since 2017, leading the real estate aspects of several of the sector's large investor deals and working with many stakeholders in the sector. One of the founder members of WiRL, she has a strong belief in the benefits of diversity for individuals, businesses, and society as a whole. 

Katherine is Chief Customer Officer at Elysian Residences. She has over 25 years of experience in general management, consumer marketing and sales, customer service and commercial strategy, with senior roles in food, media and retail businesses including BBC, Heinz, Cadbury and TK Maxx.  She is passionate about taking an insight and customer-led approach to the retirement living sector, with extensive experience across UK, South East Asia, Portugal and Denmark and was Group Marketing Director for Audley Group for 8 years. Having joined Elysian as Sales & Marketing Director, she is now Chief Customer Officer responsible for the overall customer experience across the business, including brand and commercial strategies and product and service offerings.

Founder and Director – Healthcare Operational Living Advisors (HOLA) 
Samantha has over 20 years of experience in the Healthcare and Senior Living sectors, specialising in a wide range of facilities including care homes, retirement villages, medical centres, and hospitals. She advises institutional, corporate and private investors primarily in the UK, offering consultancy, transactional services and demographic analysis and research on market needs for healthcare developments in addition to valuations. Samantha has worked closely with the likes of L&G, Abrdn, Aviva, Inspired Villages, Audley, Auriens, Investec, LifeStory, Citi, Assura, BlackRock, British Land and Octopus Healthcare for a number of years in addition to international funders and operators. 

Samantha frequently presents at conferences and contributes to various industry publications and is a co-author of the RICS Information Paper on the Valuation of Independent Healthcare Properties in the UK. She has held key roles, including Chair of the RICS Trade Related Valuation Group, and is a Fellow of the RICS. Recently, she was appointed to the Board of Women in Retirement Living (WiRL) and contributed to the recent APPG Housing and Care for Older People – The Regeneration of Outdated Sheltered Housing and KTP on Age-inclusive design principles: Pioneering a new standard for later living.

With a successful 25-year career in the social housing sector, Sharon is the Director of Retirement and Supported Living at award-winning housing association, Midland Heart.  
Responsible for the operational and strategic management of over 8,000 homes, Sharon also leads a high-profile £60 million modernisation programme which aims to rejuvenate Midland Heart’s retirement schemes across the region. Sharon is also responsible for the Supported Living and specialist accommodation portfolios, which both play an important role in housing young homeless people, families, and assisting tenants with special needs. Additionally, Sharon also oversees Midland Heart’s leasehold management and shared ownership strategy, alongside its Mutual portfolio. 
Passionate about supporting and developing others, Sharon is the co-sponsor of Liberty, the company’s Disability Network, and is also a mentor to Black colleagues who are undertaking the Midland Heart Leadership Programme. Sharon has a passion for travel and enjoys exploring different continents. She also has a passion for coaching and mentoring those who aspires to further their career.   

Charles works at Aspen Retirement as Development Director leading on the development of IRC’s in India and the UK.

He is proud to have been asked to be a member of the Board as the RL sector is something he is very passionate about. Charles can see a lot of opportunity for growth in the sector and is aware that there also needs to be a more diverse workforce in all levels and roles. 

One of the attractions of the sector to Charles is that it has always felt more co-operative in approach with people willing to help each other, share insight and learning. Using these principles, he hopes to be able to work with fellow Board members and the wider membership to see a more diverse workforce through a strong network of both women and allies offering training, education and mentoring to bring new talent and ideas to the sector.
 
His delegated functions at WiRL are Finance and Events, Communication and PR so working with fellow Board members Charles will be initially looking at how to establish roots for WiRL to grow and run events where it can invite potential members and supporters to help grow a more diverse workforce in the sector.

Dr Zoe Wyrko is Wellbeing and Quality Director at Riverstone Living. She joined the business in March 2021 after over 20 years in the NHS, latterly as a Consultant Geriatrician and Medical Director. She is a healthcare systems strategist who successfully designs and implements system based services to improve the lives of older people. These have ranged from specialised wards and areas within hospital environments, to working with system partners to develop the integration of health and social care across Birmingham and Solihull. She’s now responsible for overseeing Riverstone’s approach to wellbeing, which includes supporting the holistic physical and mental health of residents by making sure they can access the best available health and care providers, and ensuring that the latest scientific evidence in the rapidly growing field of healthy ageing research is kept at the forefront of what Riverstone do.
Dr Wyrko has previously held officer roles within the British Geriatric Society. She is passionate about changing the way society views ageing, from the negative language used to the way health and care systems are often set up around institutions rather than people. She was a subject matter expert for the multi-award winning Channel 4 programme Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds.