Ali Akbor OBE is a prominent figure in the UK housing sector, a former Chief Executive of Unity Homes and Enterprise, and a panel member of the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry.
Born in Bangladesh, he has lived in the Greater Manchester area since arriving in the UK when he was 9 years old. He began his career in local government as a Youth Opportunities Programme trainee at Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. He later qualified as an accountant with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and held various finance and accountancy roles at Tameside Council. He also worked for Salford City Council, rising to Head of Finance in the Community and Social Services Directorate.
Ali developed a strong interest in housing and joined the boards of local housing associations and played a key role in the formation of a new housing association in Oldham. As well as his various Board roles Ali has been involved in local voluntary and community activities including being Chair of Governors at his local school.
In January 1999, he was appointed Chief Executive of Unity Housing Association in Leeds. During his over two-decade tenure, Unity expanded its services to include enterprises that promote local entrepreneurial activity and employment support. He stood down from the CEO role in October 2020, when he was appointed by the Prime Minister as one of the three panel members for the Grenfell Public Inquiry. The inquiry was established to investigate the devastating fire that occurred in London in 2017. The panel published its final report on 4 September 2024.
Ali was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to the community in Leeds.
Since retiring, Ali has been appointed to the board of Pickering and Ferens Homes based in Hull and he is a founder trustee for the Masjid-Ul-Aqsa & Islamic Centre in Oldham.
Ali was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2025.