Carol Matthews, Group Chief Executive at The Riverside Group, has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year 2020 Honours List.

Ms Matthews took up her post as Group Chief Executive of Riverside in February 2012, following five years as Chief Executive of Guinness Northern Counties, part of the Guinness Partnership.

Originally from Glasgow, her career began in housing with Sheffield City Council as a management officer collecting rent door to door and managing a patch. She also worked for Burnley and Bristol Councils prior to joining Northern Counties in 1993, ultimately becoming Chief Executive in 2007.

Ms Matthews sat on the Board of the National Housing Federation for seven years and is currently Chair of Homes for the North, an alliance of 17 major housing associations working together to lobby for more affordable homes for the North or England.

Max Steinberg CBE, Chair of The Riverside Group said: “This is a richly deserved award for someone who has demonstrated outstanding leadership both within Riverside and the wider housing sector. Carol is an excellent role model and offers her time generously to support the young women leaders of the future”.