Terrie Alafat
Chair, Riverside

Terrie served as Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing from 2015 to 2019, and has a wealth of housing experience spanning over 23 years.

Her previous appointments include Director of Housing at the Department of Communities and Local Government where she was responsible for national housing polices including affordable housing, homelessness and supported housing.

Her wealth of knowledge of the housing sector and her work in shaping policy will be instrumental in continuing to take the Group forward as one of the country’s leading providers of housing and homelessness services.

Nick Atkin
Chief Executive, Yorkshire Housing

Nick has a track record of leading organisations through transformational change, driving performance improvement, with a focus on maximising the untapped potential from businesses and people. Born and brought up in Doncaster he joined Yorkshire Housing in 2019. Since this time, he’s delivered transformational change throughout the business to meet the future opportunities and challenges. Nick has previously introduced a fully flexible/ remote working approach. He also led the move to 90% of customer led transactions to be delivered through online self-service channels. He is a keen advocate of innovation and uses digital as an enabler to drive fundamental change in how businesses operate. He is also a disruptor in the ‘future of work’ debate and has been paperless for 19 years.

Steve Coffey
Chief Executive Officer, Torus

Steve is a passionate advocate for high-quality and affordable housing, and is responsible for Torus’ overall strategic direction, performance and development. Prior to joining Torus, he led Liverpool Mutual Homes for 10 years as Chief Executive. Steve’s career began in civil engineering prior to moving into the housing sector. He also worked for several local authorities prior to taking up a senior housing role in the west midlands at the start of the new millennium before returning to the Liverpool City Region some years later. Steve has considerable experience operating at boardroom level, in both executive and non-executive roles, and is an active member of bodies including the CBI North West Regional Council and the National Housing Federation. In 2022, he was appointed as Chair of Homes for the North. His work experience has also nurtured a keen personal interest in health matters, environmental issues and the low carbon agenda. Addressing green skills, employment, the retrofit challenge and volatile energy costs as an integrated issue is a key element of Steve’s vision.

Martin Collett
Chief Executive, English Rural

Martin has been working in the rural housing sector for around 20 years. He is a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, graduate of the University of London and former Chair of the Rural Housing Alliance. Martin is also a Trustee for the rural community business charity the Plunkett Foundation, a Director of the Rural Services Network, and a Trustee of the LGBT+ youth homelessness charity the Albert Kennedy Trust.

Trudi Elliott
Group Vice Chair & Chair of Group Housing Committee, Sanctuary

Trudi Elliott is a Chartered Town Planner and was formerly a lawyer, practising in both the public and private sectors. In April 2018 Trudi was appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as the Chair of the Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales. Trudi is a visiting Professor in planning and land economy at Henley Business School, University of Reading, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Prior to this Trudi was Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute; Director of the Government Office for the West Midlands; Chief Executive of West Midlands Regional Assembly (Regional Planning Body); Director of Local Government Practice (West Midlands); and Chief Executive of Bridgnorth District Council.

Trudi has considerable experience across the civil service, local Government, charity, and private sector, and she has a strong track record of partnership working and delivery. Trudi is Patron of the Commonwealth Association of Planners; is a Commissioner of UK2070, an inquiry into regional inequalities; and is a Trustee of Community Transport Wyre Forest.

Jesse Fajemisin
Director of Business Operations, Mount Green and Chair of the NHF’s Smaller Housing Association Network, Mount Green and NHF’s Smaller Housing Association Network

Jesse has over 12 years’ experience in housing, most of which has been in the G15, and in positions of leadership. At Sapphire Independent Housing, he is the executive lead for housing, leasehold and asset management services. He is the Chair of the NHF's National Smaller Housing Association Network and is a national representative on the Regulator of Social Housing's Small Provider Panel. He is also a Board Member for Gloucester City Homes, where he is the Vice Chair of their Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee too.

Richard Hill
Chief Executive Officer, bpha

Richard joined bpha as CEO in May 2023. His passion for housing has seen him hold leadership roles in the sector for nearly 20 years. He joins bpha from One Housing, where he had been CEO for over five years and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. Prior to this, Richard was CEO at Spectrum Housing and has held senior leadership roles at the Homes and Communities Agency and the Housing Corporation. Richard is also the non-executive Chair of drugs and alcohol rehabilitation charity, Phoenix Futures.

Elly Hoult
Chief Operating Officer, Peabody Trust

Elly has over 22 years' experience in the housing sector, working her way up from supported housing officer to executive level roles. Elly was previously the Group Director, Assets and Sustainability at Notting Hill Genesis.  Her earlier roles were Programme Director, leading the integration programme for Notting Hill and Genesis, and Director of Business Improvement as well as a range of roles at Orbit and A2 Dominion.  Elly is a Board Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, sits on the National Housing Federation’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group and is a member of the Green Spaces Advisory Board.

Kai Jackson
Chair of Residents Scrutiny Voice Panel, Black Country Housing Group

Kai completed her BSc (Honours) Psychology and Counselling degree and achieved a British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation. She has been the chair for her tenant's scrutiny panel for over two years. In that time, Kai has carried out three reviews, been involved in stage 2 complaints, assisted shaping policies, interviewed potential staff members, panel members and been a part of the wider reshaping of the culture of her housing association. Kai has been very vocal in her support for tenants to be more involved with their housing provider and working together to accomplish change, which can be achieved. She has spoken at two conferences with the National Housing Federation (NHF) and most recently became a Tpas Associate and speaking at their customer conference. Kai is very dedicated to tenant involvement, being diverse, without stigma, and heard.

Paul Smith
Chair, Weaver Vale Housing Trust

Paul has over 50 years' experience in Housing at all levels of management and is a Qualified Exec Coach. He has held various Governance roles within the Housing sector and has been Chair of Weaver Vale Housing Trust since 2019. Paul also chairs meetings of the NHF North West Chairs’ group.

Jacqueline Starr
Chair, LiveWest

Jacqueline (Jac) joined the LiveWest Customer Services Committee in 2019 and she is now Chair of the LiveWest Board.  Jac is the current Chief Executive Officer for the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).  Previous roles have included Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Customer at RDG, Director of Experience at Barclays and Head of Experience at O2.

Gail Teasdale
Chief Executive, Broadacres Housing Association

Gail Teasdale is CEO of Broadacres, a 6,500 home rural association based in North Yorkshire. She has been there for two years having previously been resources director at Accent. Broadacres’ corporate strategy focusses on affordable warmth after feedback from customers about the challenges of staying warm. The approach is where possible to adopt sustainable solutions that future proof both existing and new homes. This approach has delivered high levels of customer satisfaction. Gail has previously been a board member of two associations so appreciates the challenges board members face in making investment decisions.

Michelle Younger
Director of Experience, Thirteen Group

Matt Baird
Co-Chair, Spring Housing Association

Matt has supported the housing sector for more than 11 years in a multitude of ways and you may know him as the Host of the South West CIH Conference in 2023. He is the Founder and Host of The Social Housing Round Table, a free weekly networking event for anyone and everyone to try and create change for the sector. Matt is also Co-Chair of the Board for Spring Housing Association in Birmingham, a Charity supporting Refugees and Young People across Birmingham and Warwickshire. Day to day he is the Director and Owner of Baird and Co Recruitment, The Ethical Social Housing Recruitment Business that prides itself on really and truly understanding the industry. Matt has worked in the recruitment industry for over a decade sourcing a wide range of positions including executive roles across councils, housing associations, charities and domestic abuse services with a range of needs including supporting staff, providing strategic insight, and helping with restructures.

Caritas Charles
Policy and Insight Manager, TPAS

Caritas is responsible for Tpas Policy and Insight work and has over 20 years of experience in the housing sector at customer facing and strategic levels. His career has so far seen him in a diverse set of roles from being a campaigns lead for a homelessness charity to being a manager for a youth housing project alongside working in engagement roles for six different housing associations and local authorities.

Richard Clark
Head of Housing and Neighbourhoods, Bournville Village Trust

Richard has worked in housing for 19 years. Richard has held Community Safety based roles due to his background in the police. In 2011 he completed one of the final CIH Professional Housing Studies degrees at Birmingham City University, which gave him the opportunity to learn more about the sector and enter into housing management leadership roles outside of anti-social behaviour and community safety. After several management roles across the Midlands and London, in 2022 Richard joined Bournville Village Trust as Head of Housing and Neighbourhoods. BVT is an organisation steeped in history and matches Richard’s values of community building and creating thriving and sustainable communities for our residents to live.

“I am looking forward to how the event will help us understand how other organisations are meeting the challenges of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures and taking away best practice examples around customer experience and neighbourhood management.”

Stewart Davison
Founder, Elehan Consulting and Trustee, Platform Housing

Stewart has had a diverse career including nearly 10 years in the British Army. Stewart has worked in the field of Social Housing and Proptech for over 25 years and is passionate about how technology can be a force for positive change, having worked in both front line social housing and for technology companies he strives to inform, educate and implement new technologies to improve the lives of tenants and residents across the UK.

Katie French
Business Intelligence Analyst, Aspire Housing

Katie has worked in the housing sector for almost 14 years and her current role is in the Business Intelligence Team at Aspire Housing. She also sits on the CIH West Midlands regional group and coordinates Aspire’s ‘CIH Club’. Katie is passionate about housing being promoted as a key profession and is supporter of the work of the CIH and the NHF.

“I'm thrilled to contribute to the advisory group for the upcoming Housing Community Summit event, with the opportunity to play a role in shaping what promises to be an excellent event for our sector.”

Neil Goodrich
Head of Customer Performance and Improvement, Sovereign Housing Association

Neil has studied and/or worked in the social housing sector for the best part of 15 years, primarily working in positions that focused on performance, analysis and report development. A chartered member of the CIH, he was one of the founding members, and a former chair, of the CIH Futures Board. An experienced housing professional, Neil has worked in a number of organisations across England and has recently joining Sovereign Network Group to be their new Head of Customer Performance and Improvement. Prior to that he spent just under 10 years at Orbit in various roles having started his career at Family Housing Association (Birmingham) Ltd (now part of Citizen Housing).

Sophie Hayward
Head of Housing, Westmoreland Supported Housing

With over 10 years’ experience in the social housing sector, gaining both Level 4 and 5 CIH Diploma in Housing Practice, Sophie's background has predominantly been in general needs. She recently took the role as Head of Housing at Westmoreland Supported Housing, delivering housing services to vulnerable adults. Sophie uses her positive attitude to encourage others to work hard and succeed, and is a strong advocate for hearing what residents have to say, and using their feedback to shape the services delivered to them. She believes everyone deserves a place to call home, and for this to be somewhere they’re proud to live. It is colleagues and residents who inspire her to do her best to help people thrive in their homes and communities.

"I’m looking forward to being involved in an exciting new event to collaborate with other professionals throughout the housing sector to play a part in actively shaping the future of social housing. I’m hoping to work together to share ideas to improve the sector, but also adopt best practice skills and behaviours learnt from others in my own work."

Victoria McDonald
Social Impact Manager, Hightown Housing Association

Latif Patel
Project Manager, Places for People

Latif is an astute and dedicated Area Manager / Project Manager with a distinguished career at Places for People, where he has been instrumental in overseeing operational housing and estate management initiatives for a portfolio exceeding 4000 diverse properties. With a career spanning over 15 years in the housing sector, his areas of expertise are deeply rooted in Social Housing, Tenancy and Estate Management, Repairs Maintenance, Asset and Investments, New Build Developments, Private Rented Stock, Commercial Units, and Mixed Tenure Schemes including Rent to Homebuy, Shared Ownership, and Leasehold. His commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement, and unparalleled customer service has consistently contributed to the development and maintenance of premium, affordable homes and dynamic living environments. Latif possess extensive knowledge of new social housing regulations, adeptly navigating the Housing Ombudsman requirements and rigorously upholding the latest consumer standards in Social Housing.

Judith Vickress
Senior Housing Manager, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence and Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance

Ailish Whitehouse
Rough Sleeper Initiative Project Lead, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council