Nido appoints Rosemary Boot as Non-Executive Director

Europe, January 2025 – Nido Living, a leading student accommodation platform, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rosemary Boot as a Non-Executive Director (NED) to its Board. Rosemary will also serve as Chair of the Nido Living Audit & Risk Committee and will join the InvestCo and ESG Committees. 

Rosemary brings over 16 years of experience as a Non-Executive Director and a distinguished career as a strategic and commercial leader within the investment banking, public policy, and property sector. A graduate of the University of Cambridge with a BA and MA, Rosemary has held international senior roles at UBS Warburg, Circle Housing Group, Future Cities, and The Carbon Trust.  In her capacity as a NED, she has advised organisations such as Urban & Civic, the Wellcome Trust, Care REIT, Triple Point Energy Transition, The Green Alliance, and Zero Chapter. 

Beatrice Lafon, Chair of the Nido Living Board, says: “We are delighted to welcome Rosemary to the Nido Living Board. Her extensive industry experience, combined with her proven track record in sustainability, aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and ESG excellence. As leaders in PBSA, we are dedicated to staying at the forefront of progress, and Rosemary’s expertise will be instrumental in driving meaningful advancements across the business.” 

Rosemary Boot said: “Nido Living has established itself as a standout brand within the student accommodation sector, recognised for its exemplary customer experience, innovative approach, commitment to ESG principles, and focus on wellbeing.  I am excited to help oversee the European student accommodation platform’s growth plans, leveraging my experience as a CFO, M&A practitioner, and real estate sector NED, along with my expertise in embedding sustainability and ESG into pivotal strategies and actionable projects.” 

Throughout her career, Rosemary has been instrumental in driving initiatives that turn climate change ambitions into positive and progressive action with impactful outcomes.  She has most notably guided organisations in integrating climate-focused goals into their core business strategies, providing actionable insights, data-driven frameworks, and practical toolkits.  Her work has consistently delivered measurable progress on energy and other environmental targets, aligning rhetoric with meaningful results in the sector. 

Rosemary’s appointment follows a series of strategic leadership hires since Nido Living’s acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) in Spring 2024.  These include CEO Carlo Matta, CFO Ryan Lee, Head of Italy Giuseppe Zafferri, CIDO Taco van Heusden, and Beatrice Lafon as Chair of the Board. 

These leadership appointments underpin Nido Living’s ambitious growth strategy, which includes expansion into new markets, with Italy and Germany top of the list.  The company will leverage its newly established vertically integrated platform bringing together investment, development, and operational activities to facilitate rapid expansion. 

Currently, Nido Living has 5,000 operational beds across Europe, with another 1000 in the pipeline, including 800 in the UK opening in 2025 in Leeds and Lancaster.