Peter Walls

Peter has spent 45 years in the housing sector. During his career he was employed by Sunderland City council where he became Director of Housing and Public Health. He left to become Group Chief Executive of Sunderland Housing Group having created a group of local companies set up to improve the Council’s 38000 council houses.

The companies were created to address the shortage of public funding for essential improvements and £500m private investment was raised to improve the tenants homes in Sunderland.  The group changed its name to Gentoo which went on to invest over £1bn in Sunderland between 2001 and 2014.

During his career Peter was Chair of Two Castle Housing Association and had the privilege to have met the Princess Royal when she opened a sheltered scheme for elderly residents in Carlisle in 1987. Peter has also been Chair of the Northern Consortium of Housing and the Institute of Housing. He has been Wearside Businessman of the Year and Northeast Entrepreneur of the Year.

Peter was immensely proud to have been appointed as His Royal Highness Prince of Wales’ Business Ambassador for the North East in 2014. Peter is now semi-retired but is happy to use his considerable connectivity to assist worthy ventures.  He is married and has 5 children