Jon brings a wealth of experience across both the financial and housing sectors. He is currently the group chief executive of Link Group, the second largest housing association in Scotland and one of the first adopters of the SRS.

Prior to Link, Jon was group director of treasury at Wheatley Group and worked in the banking sector, including as head of national business solutions at Clydesdale Bank. His non-executive experience includes chair at Victim Support Scotland and board member at Citizens Advice Scotland.

The appointment marks a significant milestone in growing the influence of the SRS in Scotland and promoting the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting across the Scottish social housing sector. It also highlights SfH’s commitment to establishing an ESG housing framework across the UK and follows the recent news of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) adopting the SRS.

The SRS has now amassed 173 adopters, including 135 housing providers, of which 20 are from Scotland. The SRS has also been adopted by 38 banks and investors, representing the vast majority of the sector’s £130bn of private finance.

Jon replaces Julie McDowell, chair of Blackwood Homes and Care, who stepped down from the SfH board earlier this year.

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Piers Williamson, chair of SfH, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Jon’s pedigree to the board of SfH. Jon will bring a unique perspective to the board through his experience, insights and connections - all of which will be crucial to the evolution of the Standard and SfH’s strategic direction, the future of sustainability in housing and engagement with housing providers and other key stakeholders across the Scottish housing sector.

“I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Julie on behalf of the board. It has been a pleasure working with Julie, and her expertise has been invaluable to the development of the SRS in Scotland.”

Jon Turner said: “I am delighted to have been invited to join the Board. Housing associations across the UK create enormously positive social, environmental, and economic impacts in their communities and how we articulate and evidence this impact is increasingly important.

“A huge amount of progress has been made over the last few years in terms of developing clear and reliable information to inform decision making as well as wider stakeholder engagement. As we look to the future, I have no doubt the trends that emerge will clearly evidence how seriously the sector takes its sustainability responsibilities and support the ongoing critical investment in our homes and communities that is so desperately needed.”

Julie McDowell said: “I was pleased to serve on the SRS board from the time it was established to support the evolution of the criteria and the growth in adopters, particularly in Scotland. Jon is a great addition to the board, and I am sure he will continue to ensure that the SRS is a useful tool for both large and small housing associations.”

The appointment also follows a refresh of SfH’s strategic objectives, which includes broadening and deepening the Adopter community so that Housing Providers can use their collective power to influence; ensuring the SRS criteria remain relevant, useful and practical to a changing sector and in an evolving regulatory and reporting landscape; evolving the SRS into a highly valuable data resource (and collective repository); and becoming a knowledge hub and thought leader for the sector on ESG, providing valuable insight and sharing best practice.