Knightsbridge-based Raven, which is headed by Anton Bilton, is best known in the residential sector for restoring country mansions and converting hospitals, although it has a high profile in the commercial sector through its acquisition of the £78m office portfolio of developer Pillar Properties.
It develops about 150 homes a year, frequently working in joint ventures with residential specialists, including Gleeson Homes, with which it developed Ravens Wharf near Tower Bridge in London six years ago.
Wilding will be looking to increase Raven's residential business using joint ventures and hopes to apply the regeneration skills developed on Gleeson schemes such as Cornish Place in Sheffield. Schemes in the pipeline range from 20 to 200 unit developments in towns and cities such as Leeds, Sheffield and Brighton.
"We should be able to develop real mixed-use, mixed-tenure schemes," said Wilding. He retains his seat on the board of the Housing Forum.
n Gleeson has appointed Colin Rossiter, formerly of Citex Bucknall Austin, to head its PFI unit. He will be based in Sheffield.
