Governance Board
Our Board Members
Investor in Students is shaped by a growing community of accommodation providers who share a commitment to understanding and improving the student living experience.
Our members span different markets, models and regions, but are united by a belief in using evidence, insight and shared learning to deliver better outcomes for students.
Independent governance & oversight
Investor in Students is overseen by an external governance board, ensuring the integrity, independence and credibility of the IIS standard.
The board includes:
- representatives from Investor in Students members
- voices from key industry and sector bodies
Together, they provide oversight of methodology, accreditation and development of the standard, helping to ensure that IIS remains robust, fair and trusted across the sector.
The role of the governance board is to ensure that Investor in Students remains independent, rigorous and focused on what truly matters to students. Our responsibility is to uphold the integrity of the standard, challenge where needed, and ensure that insight is used to support meaningful improvement across the sector.”
Sarah Turner Jones
CHAIR, INVESTOR IN STUDENTS GOVERNANCE BOARD
Our Board Members
Sarah Turner-Jones
Partner, Cushman & Wakefield
Sarah Turner-Jones is a Partner at Cushman & Wakefield, Founder of Mirus24, and a leading researcher on the UK student accommodation market. An economist by training, she specialises in market analysis, demand forecasting and sector insight, advising universities and investors while contributing widely to industry research and thought leadership on student housing trends.
Sam Bailey-Watts
CEO, Unipol
Sam Bailey-Watts is Chief Executive of Unipol, the UK’s not-for-profit student housing charity. With more than 30 years’ experience across universities and private providers, he is a respected voice on accommodation standards, affordability and policy, contributing to sector research, best-practice frameworks and national discussions on student housing.
Tim Owen
Associate Director of Student Living
Tim leads accommodation services at the University of Birmingham, overseeing the strategy and operation of the university’s residential portfolio and student living experience. With extensive experience in campus housing, he focuses on student wellbeing, community development and delivering high-quality residential environments for thousands of students.
David Chadderton
CMO, Homes for Students
David Chadderton is Chief Marketing Officer at Homes for Students and brings extensive experience of the UK purpose-built student accommodation sector. With a background spanning marketing, operations and student engagement, he provides insight into student demand, communication and sector trends across one of the country’s largest PBSA portfolios.
Sinead Magennis
Business Development Manager, Queen’s University Belfast
Sinead brings extensive experience from within the higher education sector, with particular insight into university partnerships, student needs and the delivery of accommodation services. Her work across strategic collaboration and sector engagement provides valuable perspective on how universities and partners can work together to support positive student living experiences.
Paul Watson
Managing Director, Now Student Living
Paul brings more than two decades of experience in the UK purpose-built student accommodation sector. With a background spanning university housing and large-scale PBSA operations, he offers valuable insight into operational standards, resident experience and the evolving needs of students across professionally managed accommodation portfolios.
Market Research Society
Investor in Students is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS), the UK’s professional body for research, insight and analytics.
The MRS sets recognised standards for ethical, transparent and high-quality research, providing guidance on methodology, data protection and professional conduct.
Membership ensures our research and student insight work aligns with industry best practice and is conducted to robust professional standards. For Investor in Students members, this provides additional confidence that the insights, benchmarking and feedback gathered through the programme are credible, independently informed and grounded in recognised research principles.
Become part of the Investor in Students community
If you’re interested in joining a community committed to understanding and improving the student living experience, we’d welcome a conversation.