A Chartered Management Accountant for more than 20 years, Deborah previously took charge of UK Finance and HR operations at the Morecambe based, Italian-owned, GVS Filter Technology. Her success in this role was recognised at a global level by the 2,700 strong business when she achieved the prestigious 2018 Worldwide Best Financial Controller Award.

Having also previously worked for organisations including Furmanite International, Kendal College, and BAE Systems, Ross brings wide-ranging industry experience to CityBlock which specialises in investing, developing, and managing purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sites across the UK.

Speaking of her appointment to CityBlock’s senior management team, she said: “Working in property and student accommodation represents an exciting step change for me personally; the fact that CityBlock is a successful Lancashire homegrown business with ambitions to continue growing across the UK has been a major draw to this role.

“It’s a real pleasure to join a fabulous team with solid ambition and I’m looking forward to integrating my experience of working for major corporates to enable CityBlock to further grow their property portfolio and look to make impact at both a regional and national level.”

Trevor Bargh, Chief Executive at CityBlock said: “2020 will be another milestone year for our business and we have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline including our move into private residential development.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to bring Deborah on board at this time, so that we can continue delivering on our high standards and look to move the business forward with the added value of skills Deborah has gained working across a range of industries including defence, manufacturing, engineering and oil & gas.

“She will be a great addition to the team and brings the right balance between a strong commercial outlook and ensuring our residents and accommodation provision continue to be at the front and centre of our values and delivery.”