Blogs

Board Spotlight: Nile Istephan, CEO of Eildon Housing Association

In our Board Spotlight series, we introduce you to the people who make up the LHCPG Board.

The Board is integral to the way we operate as a not-for-profit organisation and each member has a part to play by offering unique insights from their experience working for various housing associations across England, Scotland and Wales.

In this latest Q&A, find out more about Nile Istephan, CEO of Eildon Housing Association.

Can you share a little about your professional background and expertise?

For the last 15 years, I have been CEO of Eildon Housing Association – a housing and care organisation based in the Scottish Borders.

Prior to that, I held various senior positions in the Scottish Government, mainly focused on overseeing grant programmes for new build activity.

Following my undergraduate degree in Economics at Newcastle University, I took some time off before completing a MPhil in Urban Policy at Glasgow University.

This took me into the field of housing and regeneration activity, and after gaining my MPhil I spent some time working as a researcher at the Centre for Housing Research and Urban Studies.

Like many people, I have stumbled into the world of housing, but have found it to be a hugely varied, exciting and vital sector to work in.

What drew you to LHC Procurement Group?

I was Vice Chair of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations around the time that SPA (Scottish Procurement Alliance – one of LHCPG’s five regional business units) activity was really taking off in Scotland.

So, when the opportunity came up to get involved in the executive committee of the SPA, I jumped at it.

While working with SPA, discussions were ongoing regarding the creation of LHCPG, so this seemed a natural next step to participate in the exciting plans across the Group.

What is your role on the Board, and where do you envision LHC Procurement Group in the next three years?

I am one of two Board Members representing the SPA business unit, so it is fascinating to see how the challenges we face are replicated across the different regions of the country.

LHCPG is in a strong and relatively unique position to build on the successes of the past. By working together, we can apply this experience to some significant challenges that we all face by continuing to address needs in our respective organisations.

We will continue to tackle climate change and put social value and community benefit at the heart of these efforts.

From your perspective, what are the most important things framework providers should be focusing on?

Delivery organisations are being continually challenged on a number of fronts, and this can be quite daunting at times, which is why knowledge and expertise are crucial to help meet these challenges.

Framework providers, focused on flexible and deliverable solutions, are increasingly essential to assist delivery organisations in navigating a path through these issues.

Effective communication between providers and delivery organisations is important, ensuring that providers have clear products that can be flexibly delivered to meet the wide range of needs that exist.

Can you tell us about any projects you’re working on for LHC Procurement Group?

It is still relatively early days for LHCPG, but the Board is very much focused on the overall strategy and direction of the organisation.

I am particularly interested in supporting the staff of the organisation to continue to effectively work together and share learning and expertise from across the regional business units.

As the CEO of a rural-based organisation, I am very mindful of the need to promote solutions where contractor availability is ‘thin’, and I am particularly interested in the possibilities of the greater use of Dynamic Purchasing Systems.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I dabble in a whole range of things but keep coming back to trying to play slightly better golf and following Leeds United through their ups and downs (mainly downs!).