- John Tonkiss to step down as CEO after seven years
- Matthew Pratt, previously CEO of Redrow, to take over as CEO from January 2026
- Leadership bolstered with other senior hires as company transition continues
McCarthy & Stone, the market leader in retirement communities, has announced that John Tonkiss will be stepping down as CEO at the end of November. Matthew Pratt, previously CEO at property developer Redrow and former Board member of FTSE 100, Barratt Redrow, has been appointed as his replacement, effective 1 January 2026.
After 12 years at McCarthy & Stone, including seven as CEO, John has decided to step down from his role. During his time at McCarthy & Stone, John successfully navigated the business through the Covid-19 pandemic to become the UK’s leading retirement developer. John expanded McCarthy & Stone’s offering of developments and services including successfully establishing rental as a form of tenure within the retirement sector, and established shared ownership for customers under the Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO) scheme with Homes England.
Matthew joins McCarthy & Stone from Redrow, where he spent 22 years, five of which as CEO. He led the company through the landmark merger between Redrow and Barratt Developments to create the UK’s largest housebuilder. Matthew has a deep understanding of the UK housing sector and its challenges and opportunities and is well placed to take McCarthy & Stone forward.
Matthew joins a line of new Senior Executives joining McCarthy & Stone in the last year, each bringing their own set of skills and experience to take the business through its next phase of growth:
- Andrew Burrett joined as Chief Financial Officer in June and brings 25 years’ experience in senior financial and operational roles, including most recently as Group Chief Financial Officer and UK Managing Director at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group. He also held the role of Acting CEO at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, before joining McCarthy & Stone. Andrew previously held senior financial positions at Cable and Wireless and Electrolux.
- Katharine Poulter joined at the start of the year as Chief Commercial Officer. She brings rich retail and customer experience to the business, after holding senior commercial roles at Marks & Spencer and Habitat. Most recently, she held the role of Chief Commercial Officer at the Canadian retailer Indigo Books & Music, and was previously CEO for fashion retailer, Laura Ashley.
- Mark Hoyland joined as Managing Director of McCarthy & Stone Services in January. Mark brings over 30 years’ experience across housing, construction and property services. Mark was previously Group Chief Executive at Orbit Group and Managing Director, Engineering Services, at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.
The Executives join Shane Paull, who has been with the business 25 years and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2023 after holding the position of Managing Director for the Southern division of the business for 11 years.
Paul Lester, Chairman of McCarthy & Stone, said:
“After 12 years at McCarthy & Stone, we say farewell and a huge thanks to John for his contribution to the business and for taking it to where it is today. As CEO, John successfully transitioned McCarthy & Stone from a public to private company, and navigated the business through Covid-19 and the challenging external environment that followed. He leaves the company on a sure footing with an excellent leadership team in place to take the business forward. In Matthew we have a CEO that has over 20 years of UK housing sector experience, and over five years as CEO of a FTSE 250. Having successfully merged Redrow to create the UK’s leading housebuilder, we know he has the skills and experience to take McCarthy & Stone forward.”
John Tonkiss, CEO of McCarthy & Stone, said:
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in my 12 years with McCarthy & Stone. We have weathered significant challenges for the sector and are emerging as a more customer-focused business. Most of all, I am proud of what we have done in leading the retirement sector, providing excellent services to over 22,000 customers, developing over 540 communities across the country, and creating the McCarthy & Stone Charitable Foundation. We have always been driven by our values and purpose to offer people independence, support and community in later life, and I am proud of what we have achieved since moving from a listed to a private company. Now is the right time to pass the baton onto Matthew. He has the track record and experience to deliver on McCarthy & Stone’s potential and take it to the next level.”
Matthew Pratt, incoming CEO, said:
“I’m delighted to be joining McCarthy & Stone at such a pivotal time for the industry. I look forward to building on the company’s outstanding reputation for customer service and for delivering the high-quality homes the country urgently needs. After nearly 23 years with Redrow, I see many parallels between the two businesses, particularly in serving the growing downsizer market — an area where McCarthy & Stone continues to lead. I believe there is now an exciting opportunity to redefine this sector. Together with the team, I’m eager to grow the business and uphold the values that have made McCarthy & Stone such a trusted and respected name in British housebuilding.”
