Richard France

Richard is Managing Director of the Oakgate Group Plc, a Yorkshire based investment and development property company, that is currently engaged in delivering a new 6,000 seat Community Stadium together with associated retail units including a new John Lewis store at Monks Cross York. He set up his first property business in York over 32 years ago and has been involved in a great deal of the major schemes in the City over that time.

Having sold his business in the late 1980’s, he became an equity partner of Chesterton and later a Director of Colliers, both major international companies, enabling him to broaden his experience in the property market place in the UK, but especially in the Midlands and the North of England.

In 1990 he became an Independent Governor of Sheffield Polytechnic, now Sheffield Hallam University and was closely involved in the strategic property review and the implementation that followed until retiring from the post in 1997.

Property, education and sport have always played a key part in Richard’s life and having formerly been a first class rugby union player, he has been able to combine all three interests at various times in his career and is looking forward to bringing his experience to the benefit of York St John University. Richard holds a degree in Urban Estate Surveying and is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

He was appointed to the Governing Body in November 2012.