Faith Abudu
Founder and Director, Diversity and Inclusion in Construction

Claudine Adeyemi-Adams FIEP
Founder and Chief Executive and Co-chair, EarlyBird and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion

Claudine Adeyemi-Adams is the Founder & CEO of Earlybird. She is a multi-award-winning former lawyer who read law at University College London and practised at Mishcon de Reya for several years before moving in-house as Sole Legal Counsel at venture backed startup, Wefarm. She has spearheaded diversity and inclusion efforts and built and ran an employability organisation, providing opportunities for young adults from overlooked communities (recognised with HM Government Recognition Award). Claudine also previously founded and built a digital career support platform called CareerEar that supported thousands of career-seekers from overlooked communities to have career confidence.

Claudine now runs Earlybird, software powered by AI and voice technology that empowers employability and skills providers to engage and support their participants, efficiently, at scale. Earlybird is backed by Resolution Ventures, Innovate UK and Google for Startups - Claudine was one of just 15 founders across Europe to be selected for Google’s Black Founders Fund 2023. Earlybird was also a Finalist for Digital Solution of the Year 2023 in the Employability Awards.

Claudine is also co-chair of the Employers’ Network for Equality, and Inclusion (enei), core team member of UK Black Tech, a former WEF Global Shaper, and advisory board member for Spiral Skills, a youth focused employment support organisation. Claudine has been recognised as a Rising Star in the We Are The City Awards (2016), Brummell Magazine’s 30 Ones to Watch (2018), EMpower #1 Future Leader as presented by the Financial Times (2018), 40x40 Black British Future Leader (2022) and Inspirational Business Woman in STEM presented in the House of Lords (2023). In 2024, Claudine was presented with the Freedom of the City of London and listed in the Diversity Power List.

Naz Ahmed
Deputy Director of Strategy, Poplar HARCA

Ahmed
Lived experience speaker, Lived experience speaker - temporary accommodation

Francesca Albanese
Executive Director of Policy and Social Change, Crisis UK

Francesca Albanese is Executive Director of Policy and Social Change at Crisis and previously held the role of Head of Research and Evaluation. She has worked with Crisis since 2016. Francesca is also a trustee for Justlife, an editorial panel member at Thinkhouse and Chair of the Housing First Europe hub. Prior to Crisis, Francesca worked at Homeless Link and Shelter and has a PhD in housing policy from Sheffield Hallam University.

Jacque Allen
Chief Executive Officer, Your Housing Group

Mark Astbury
Property Partner, Ridge

Nazia Azad
Programme Manager, Centre for Ageing Better

Nazia Azad is a dynamic leader with extensive experience across the housing and non-profit sectors, specialising in equality, tenant engagement, and community-driven change. She has spearheaded inclusive service design initiatives and held senior roles influencing housing policy and governance. Passionate about eradicating social injustice, she has championed diverse voices through strategic roles in organisations like Cadwyn, Tai Pawb, and the Welsh Government. She was also a member of the Welsh Government Expert Review Panel on ending homelessness, contributing to the legislative review published by Crisis. Her work is grounded in collaboration, innovation, and equity.

Scott Bache
Lead Product Manager, Housemark

Matt Baird
Founder and Recruitment Partner, The Social Housing Roundtable and Avalon

Matt has over 13 years of experience supporting the social housing sector. He has served as Board Co-Chair for Spring Housing and St Annes Hostel and founded The Social Housing Round Table, a platform connecting thousands of sector stakeholders. On a day-to-day basis he recruits staff for the sector nationally in partnership with Avalon Recruitment with his clients nicknaming him “the ethical recruiter”. As an advocate for change and authentic dialogue, Matt champions the needs of tenants and professionals within the social housing space, believing that it’s only through open discussion that true change can occur.

"With the incredible success of last year’s conference, it’s fantastic to be involved with putting together a programme that is focused on what the sector has requested and needs. Being a part of this panel provides the opportunity to share ideas of those that we work with to create a conference that those who truly care about making things better can be proud of."

Sam Barker
Relationship Manager, Aico

John Barnes
Director, Housing and Healthcare, Savills

John specialises in providing asset management, investment planning, repairs and maintenance, landlord compliance, and procurement support to clients in the affordable housing sector. John joined Savills in 2016 and has worked with a number of registered providers to develop their approach to asset management strategy, investment planning and programme delivery. He has also supported clients in reviewing and developing their approach to landlord compliance. Prior to joining Savills John worked in senior roles in the sector with responsibility for a range of areas including asset management, investment planning, repairs and maintenance, project management, asset performance evaluation and compliance. He has additional experience in funding and delivering new build housing for the affordable and private rented sectors. He has been a regular speaker at conferences and written for best practice guides.

Linsay Baverstock
Head of People and Resident Experience, Settle Group

Matt Bawden
Head of Support and Housing, Centrepoint

Matt joined Centrepoint last year with 15 years experience in housing and homelessness services across London and the South East. Matt has worked as a client-facing support worker as well as a range of leadership and management roles across different organisations, service types and areas. Prior to joining Centrepoint, Matt led on St Mungo's approach to Older People Care. He also oversaw a number of established Housing First services in London and Essex. Now leading Centrepoint's Housing and Support services in London (and Bournemouth), Matt is responsible for a portfolio of 60 services for young people including Supported Housing and Housing First. Matt is currently studying for a L5 in Housing with CIH and influences and supports Centrepoint's policy positions including on Housing reform.

Chance Bleu-Montgomery
Partner Support Manager, Bridge of Hope

Dr Eve Blezard
Policy Lead, Chartered Institute of Housing

Nic Bliss
Campaign Director, Stop Social Housing Stigma Campaign

Nic Bliss is the Campaign Director for the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign and the author of SSHS's Tackling Stigma Journey Planner, recently launched in Parliament as a flexible tool to help tenants and landlords work together to tackle stigma. As a former social housing tenant himself for thirty years and as the former Head of Policy for the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, Nic has worked with numerous tenants and landlords on various tenant involvement programmes.

Emily Bond
Project Co-ordinator, West Lindsey District Council

Tony Boyle
Regional director for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England, AICO

Tom Bremner
Chief Executive, CDS Cooperative Housing

Helen Briant
Partner, Trowers and Hamlins

Claire Brown
Senior Consultant, Turner and Townsend

Claire joined Turner & Townsend in November 2022 as a Senior Consultant.

Claire has spent over 20 years working in client facing roles delivering bespoke projects and programmes involving business support and consultancy with a specific focus on business sustainability support, carbon management and sustainable development.

Claire has worked in a variety of sectors including housing, construction, research, third sector, higher education and the Public Sector. She is currently a Parent Board Director of a local Housing provider in the North West.

Claire is also the Co-chair of the North West IEMA Steering group. Supporting local IEMA events and ensuring suitable CPD sessions are provided to a wide group of IEMA members within the NW. Claire was also awarded a 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Award by The Construction Industry Training Board in 2024 in the Ally category.

Hilary Burkitt
Policy Manager, Independent Age

Hilary leads work on housing policy at Independent Age, the national charity focused on improving the lives of people facing financial hardship in later life. Previously, Hilary has worked with and for a wide range of social housing providers and as head of research at the charity Shelter. She is passionate about making the housing system work for all, particularly for people on low incomes.

Nathaniel Butters
Co-Founder and Chief Executive, ECO Surv

Nathaniel brings cross-sector experience in property, construction, sustainability, and education. As a qualified Retrofit Coordinator, he is a passionate advocate for sustainable design and leads the development of smart, PAS-compliant retrofit solutions to help social housing providers implement best-practice approaches at scale.

Pedro Cameron
Head of Engagement and Founder, Tenants Information Service and The Equality in Social Housing Podcast

Pedro Cameron is the Tenant Participation and Engagement Manager at the Tenants Information Service (TIS), where he supports tenants across Scotland to influence decisions and shape housing services. He has a decade of experience in the housing sector, with a particular focus on the needs of older and disabled people, and a strong commitment to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Pedro was previously Head of Engagement at Housing Options Scotland, working to ensure that people with additional needs could access the right housing in the right place. He is the co-creator and co-host of the Equality in Housing podcast, winner of the inaugural Marion Gibbs Award at the CIH Scotland Awards in 2023.

Ashley Campbell
Policy and Public Affairs Manager for Scotland, Chartered Institute of Housing

Lucy Carmichael
Managing Director, Mears

Diane Carney
Senior Consultant, DTP

Diane has considerable experience in social housing provision across a range of housing and property services with both housing associations and local authorities. She has expertise in consumer regulation, specialising in supporting housing organisations through compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards which can include providing independent external reviews of self-assessments against the Consumer Standards, advising on the effectiveness of new and established customer committees, as well as providing Board, Committee and Staff training on a wide range of matters relating to consumer regulation. Diane also works with clients to provide more detailed support relating to the wider services linked to the Consumer Standards, including reviewing strategy and approaches to complaints and the Tenants Satisfaction Measures.

Anne Chapman
Assistant Director – Governance, Risk and Compliance and Company Secretary, Golding Homes

Having extensive governance, strategic and legal experience, Anne is the corporate lead for governance and compliance matters and the Company Secretary for housing association, Golding Homes. Anne has held many non-executive board positions and is currently the Vice Chair of Eldon Housing Association, an independent member of the Audit and Risk Committee at the Chartered Institute of Housing and a trustee of the homelessness charity, Porchlight.

Caritas Charles
Senior Policy and Insight and Innovation Manager, Tpas

Caritas has worked in the sector for 24 years in numerous roles at a frontline and strategic level . In his current role he works with Tpas members in informing on and helping to shape national housing policy and ensuring that people who live in social housing have their voices heard. A scrutiny geek he also facilitates the National Scrutiny Club. Keen to bring new ideas in engagement to the sector Caritas has written a guide to using deliberative engagement methods and is currently looking at global engagement best practice.

“I am delighted to be asked again to be on the Advisory Panel for the Housing Community Summit. The inaugural event was a huge success demonstrating the passion, commitment and dedication that is out there in our sector and the amazing work we do when we all come together. 2024 set the bar high, I cant wait to see what we can put together for 2025.”

Mark Chadwick
Executive Director of Business Services, Fusion21

Anthea Chilton
Sector Development Lead, Housing Ombudsman Service

Anthea Chilton is a Sector Learning and Development Lead at the Housing Ombudsman Service. Anthea is part of the Quality, Engagement and Development (QED) department and the team delivering the Housing Ombudsman Service’ Centre for Learning (CfL). The CfL provides landlords with access to a wide variety of learning resources to enhance their complaints management and drive a positive complaint handling culture.

Callum Chomczuk
Director, CIH Scotland

Lisa Clarke
Regional Housing Lead (South), Clarion Housing

I am a housing professional with over 20 years experience, with particular expertise in tackling domestic abuse and anti-social behavior. I currently chair the Domestic Abuse Forum in conjunction with the National Housing Federation and established the Kent & Medway domestic abuse reciprocal scheme.

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.”

Nicki Clarke
Head of Housing, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence

Nicki is the Head of Housing with Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, working with local authorities and housing providers to implement the Whole Housing Approach and achieve DAHA accreditation to ensure that domestic abuse survivors can access safe and secure housing. Nicki also sits on the National Domestic Abuse and Housing Policy and Practice Group, working with partners across the sector to influence national policy.

Prior to this Nicki spent more than 13 years working frontline in various roles within social housing and as the Domestic Abuse lead for Westward Housing she successfully guided them to achieve DAHA Accreditation in 2022. In 2020 Nicki wrote and presented a Domestic Abuse training video for repairs and maintenance contractors working in social housing to recognise and report the signs of domestic abuse.

In her personal life Nicki has been a member of the Experts by Experience Group working with Surviving Economic Abuse since 2017. As a survivor of domestic abuse Nicki now uses her personal knowledge and understanding to raise awareness of domestic abuse and ensure that the housing response for survivors is always informed by the survivor voice.

Josh Cliff
Head of Service, Positive Footprints

Josh Cliff leads Positive Footprints, part of the Regenda Group. He’s passionate about shaping brighter futures for the next generation. Positive Footprints award-winning work is connecting housing organisations and primary schools to inspire over 11,000 children every year. Josh champions early intervention, and has worked in education and skills in the public and not-for-profit sector. He is also a governor and proud father children.

David Colbourne
Housing Retrofit Manager, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

David has over 25 years experience in the energy field, an Environmental Science degree and a Masters degree in Climate Change & Sustainable Development. He started his professional career at the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development. This involved researching strategic urban energy management, publishing papers and working with Leicester Energy Agency / the Leicester Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. This led to employment with Merseyside Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, before running the Cheshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre amongst other home energy efficiency projects.

David joined Sefton Council in 2001 to become the main home energy officer. His role expanded to develop more renewable energy installations, European projects and directed the fuel poverty programme. As a local energy officer David was elected Chair of the Northwest Association of Local Energy Officers (ALEO) for 7 years and spent of 4 of those years as National Vice Chair. David joined the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in December 2021 to help deliver their retrofit projects. David has worked on SHDF wave 1, LAD 2 and SWF. David is also leading on the SHDF wave 2 bid for the Liverpool City Region Consortium.

Sam Collier
Head of Policy & Research, Aico

As Head of Policy & Research for HomeLINK (Aico), Sam focuses on the challenges of decarbonisation and damp & mould within the social housing sector. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the company's products meet the specific needs of social housing providers, particularly in the context of regulatory change. With a PhD from the University of Bristol and five years expertise in data and IoT technology, Sam contributes to solutions that aim to improve the living conditions in social housing - making them more sustainable, safer, and healthier. He also has an interest in the ethics of IoT technology and how these innovations can be responsibly implemented to achieve positive outcomes for all.

Sonny Cook
Associate Partner, Baily Garner

Jayne Cornes
Customer Experience Manager, Walsall Housing Group Limited

Kathleen Cottier
Chief Executive, Fold Housing

Kath has over 20 years of experience working in the Irish Housing Association sector; leading development, property and housing teams. Prior to her role as CEO at Fold, at Executive level in Clúid Housing, she was responsible for front-line services and working to lead the organisations strategic development and growth as well as contribute to strengthening the Housing Association sector. She is the current Chair of the Board for CIH Ireland.

Jonathan Cox
Partner, Anthony Collins Solicitors

Jonathan Cox is a partner at Anthony Collins, playing a key role in growing the firm’s presence in the North West. His drive stems from a desire to improve lives and communities with his unique legal insight. An accomplished housing specialist who habitually features in the Chambers and Partners’ highest band, Jonathan's frequent appearance in Legal 500 rankings is testament to his unparalleled expertise and experience, which includes supporting the housing sector’s response to the Voluntary Right to Buy scheme. With over 30 years of acting for housing associations under his belt, Jonathan provides top legal advice for clients in affordable housing.

Rachel Cox
Director of Property Repairs, Believe Housing

Fiona Creighton
Executive Director of Homes, Mosscare St Vincent

Ian Cresswell
Director of Technology, Magenta Living

Ian has worked in the housing sector for almost 30 years, and has implemented many innovative and transformative technology solutions during that time. He is currently responsible for delivering the technology roadmap at Magenta Living, a Wirral based housing association owning and managing around 13,000 homes.

Mark Cronly-Dillon
Group Business Development Director, Cardo Group

Jon Daley
Head of ESG, G2M Group

Giulia Dallera
Senior Social Researcher, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Giulia is a senior social researcher from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, where she leads on the evaluation of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. She has research experience in both academia and government in energy efficiency as well as in public health and has led on a number of publications.

Bronagh D'Arcy
Chief Operating Officer, Tuath Housing

Debansu Das
Business Development Director, ZED Pods

Stewart Davidson

Sarah Davis
Senior Policy and Practice Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing

Leanne Day
Head of Consortium Services for Procurement Hub, Places for People

With a career spanning both the public and private sectors, I have gained a holistic view and understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing procurement professionals. As Head of Consortium Services, I am responsible for driving innovation and strengthening Procurement Hub's services. My focus is on delivering exceptional value to our members and suppliers while nurturing collaborative partnerships. With social value and community at the heart of everything Procurement Hub does, I am committed to driving the procurement industry forward to ensure social value is embedded in all our solutions and throughout project delivery. I aim to position Procurement Hub as the most ethical and socially conscious procurement vehicle in the UK.

Philippe Demougin
Property Innovation Manager, Flagship Housing

Philippe is Property Innovation Manager at Bromford Flagship, where he leads cross-cutting innovation projects focused on improving the quality, sustainability, and performance of homes. His work spans retrofit strategy, environmental monitoring, compliance transformation, and the practical application of emerging technologies across housing services.

He is currently leading Bromford Flagship’s involvement in the Connected Homes research programme, which explores how smart technologies and data can support healthier, safer homes in the social housing sector. His wider portfolio includes work on damp and mould prevention, tenant engagement, asset data integration, and funding strategy — with a focus on designing solutions that are evidence-led, scalable, and grounded in the lived experiences of tenants.

With a background in research and service design, Philippe is passionate about bridging the gap between innovation and delivery to help the sector tackle its biggest challenges — from decarbonisation to compliance to customer trust.

Ryan Dempsey
Chief Executive Officer, TCW

Ryan is the Chief Executive and founder of TCW, a globally unique property technology platform created to provide complete assurance on your data. Today, the solution provides clarity on property governance and lifecycle requirements to around 1.7 million Social Housing properties.

Due to his innovative nature around Safety and Engineering whilst working in Housing, Ryan obtained a Fellowship from the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He is also the main author to a number of essential guidance documents around the management of Electrotechnical services in Social Housing.

Dr Mercy Denedo
Associate Professor in Accounting, Durham University

Mercy Denedo is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Durham University Business School. Her research focuses on accountability, governance, and social and environmental accounting, particularly in relation to housing, extractive industries, prisons, and water governance. She is especially interested in how accounting intersects with activism and human rights. She has led and collaborated on several high-impact projects, including studies on social housing stigma and gambling-related domestic abuse. Her work seeks to inform policy, improve practice, and advance social justice for marginalized communities.

Matt Dicks
Director, CIH Cymru

Alex Diner
Head of External Affairs, National Housing Federation

Alex is Head of External Affairs and Campaigns at the National Housing Federation. He has previously worked as a solicitor, representing bereaved and survivors from the Grenfell Tower fire at the public inquiry. He has also worked as a political advisor, in the think tank sector, and has been a local councillor and a parliamentary candidate.

Sarah Dunkerley
Director of Membership and Professional Development, Chartered Institute of Housing

Nicola Ebdon
Interim Deputy CEO, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership

Nicola is responsible for governance and regulation at LHP, and she is also the lead for customer influence and insight work. She has lots to share on customer engagement, especially on how LHP engaged with customers on the EWI projects and also on LHP’s plans going forward.

Debra Edwards
TAPPI co-production champion and Chair of supported housing continuous improvement group, Haringey Council

TAPPI Co-production Champion for Haringey. Member of Haringey ‘Resident Voice Board’ (RVB). Chair of Supported Housing Continuous Improvement Group (CIG) and Haringey Council tenant.

Debra moved into supported housing in 2020 where she was one of the youngest tenants, and she spent a lot of my time supporting older tenants who were not familiar with using technology. Debra is very passionate about helping and supporting others, especially older and disabled people. There is nothing more rewarding for Debra than helping others to have a voice in the management of their lives.

Richard Ellis
Director of Sustainability, Peabody

James Feetham
Inclusive Service Team Leader, Great Places Housing Group

James is the Inclusive Services Team Leader at Great Places Housing Group. The role of his team is to understand who is living in the homes owned by Great Places, what their needs are and how Great Places as an organisation tailor their service offer to those who need it. James is a disabled wheelchair user who has grown up living in Social Housing, and has over 20 years of lived experience to recount upon when communicating with customers. James is passionate about driving forward Inclusion and Accessibility in Housing, and in June 2024 was invited to the House of Lords to support the launch of the #FitForOurFuture campaign with Foundations UK and Invisible Creations.

James Fellowes
Founder, Bridge of Hope

Steve Fensom
Chief Executive, Westmoreland Supported Housing

Executive Director, CEO and COO with experience across multiple industries, organisational types and business functions. Change leadership, in transition, evolution and transformation of UK and international businesses in listed, private equity, joint venture & third sector organisations.

Combines a long-term perspective on organisational capability and culture, growth and partnerships with near-term focus upon value delivery, continuous improvement and relationship management.

Simon Fitzpatrick
CEO, West of Scotland Housing Association

Simon is the CEO of West of Scotland Housing Association, one of the oldest and largest Registered Social Landlords in Scotland, widely regarded as a sector leader in using AI to deliver practical solutions to tenants and staff.

Simon has spent the last ten years as a director and CEO of organisations developing award winning new homes and services, using innovative tech-based solutions. He has a post-graduate Diploma in Housing Studies and is a chartered member of the CIH.

Chris Fleck
Chief Technology & Product Officer, Mobysoft

Andy Frankum
Executive Director of Health, Safety and Compliance, Concept Housing

Andy works closely with the social housing sector, construction and fire safety sectors and is passionate about ensuring that effective fire safety practices including competence is well understood and enhanced, whilst working strategically to monitor change, improve industry competence and processes and to promote standards and guidance.

The aim is to drive consistency across the sector to encourage safer outcomes, which in turn will enable residents and their families to have a safe place to call home.

Tim Frondigoun
Executive Director and CIH Fellow, ARK Consultancy

Emma Gilbank
Service Manager for Sustainability and Climate Change, Connect Housing

Emma joined the sector three years ago after graduating from the University of Leeds, and currently works for Connect Housing. She is passionate about driving positive change through collaboration, with a particular focus on justice and inclusion. She was a finalist for Young Achiever at the Women in Housing Awards and was named in the Climate Champions Power List by Unlock Net Zero. Emma is also a board member at CIH Futures, representing young housing professionals at a national level.

Katie Gilmartin
Head of Business Development & Innovation, Platform Housing

Katie is Platform’s Head of New Business and Innovation, having joined from Home Group in February 2022 and in her current role is leading the future-proofing of our new build programme. She’s a key part of driving a strategy that is rooted in enhancing customer experience while achieving strong environmental outcomes. Under this strategy, Katie has helped drive a fossil fuel-free programme and played a key role in delivering the largest affordable Zero Bills development in partnership with Octopus Energy. In her role, she works across the organisation to ensure that evolving housebuilding practices translate into healthier homes, improved customer experience, and long-term affordability.

Margaret Goddard
Group Assets Director, Torus

Oona Goldsworthy
Chief Executive, Brunelcare

Oona became Chief Executive of Brunelcare, a Bristol based housing association providing homes and care, in late 2109. She was previously the CEO of United Communities housing association where she remained at the helm for 16 years, growing the organisation from its inception to become one of the leading providers of affordable homes in the City. Oona is a Board member of the National Care Forum, Care and Support West and Trustee of Second Step housing association. She is also Co-Chair of the Bristol Homes and Communities Board.

Jonathan Gould
Assistant Director, ARK Consultancy

Andrew Gray
Relationship Manager and Chair of Landlord Operations Committee, Fusion21 and Torus

Janine Green
Green & Burton ASB Associates

Karen Gregory
Training Officer, Tenant, and Panel Member, Tenant and Trainer at Aster, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Karen is a tenant and training officer at Aster and is a member of the Social Housing Resident Panel for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and The 4Million Homes Panel. She is a Board Member for Transform Housing & Support where she is also the Safeguarding Lead.

Matthew Grenier
Business Development Director, HACT

Matthew Grenier is the Business Development Director at HACT, where he oversees the delivery of strategic partnerships, communications, marketing and engagement for the organisation. He works closely with senior leaders to address challenges and identify emerging opportunities, ensuring HACT’s initiatives align with the evolving needs of the sector. Matthew joined HACT in 2021, bringing a wealth of experience from a career that has spanned strategic leadership, marketing, and business development. His relationship with HACT dates back to 2006, with roles over the years that have deepened his understanding of the organisation and its mission.

Matthew previously successfully ran his own company, where he delivered comprehensive communication and marketing services across a wide range of sectors and propositions. Working with senior leaders, trustees, and teams, he focused on building brands that achieved business objectives efficiently and effectively.

Through his leadership, Matthew has helped HACT expand its impact through transformative solutions like the award-winning Retrofit Credits and Social Value proposition tools. His dedication to fostering collaboration and delivering measurable social value makes him an integral part of HACT’s mission to empower the housing sector to create sustainable and thriving communities.

Lindsey Gurrey
Lived Experience, Lived Experience Speaker

Lindsey's hobbies are limited due to her chronic fatigue syndrome which is further exacerbated by her experience of anti-social behaviour. Despite this, Lindsey enjoys gardening, attends Ward Panel meetings with the Safer Neighbourhood Team, and takes a keen interest in “Simon Reeve”, “Have I got news for you”, “Astrid: Murder in Paris", "Handmade: British Best Woodworker” and housing renovations. She has varied taste in music, but her preference predominantly being rock music. Her dream would be to see the “Foo Fighters” in concert at a small venue, or even hiring out the Lloyds of London Atrium and playing a gig there. Lindsey would love to spend more time travelling abroad, with her son when he is older. Lindsey takes a keen interest in politics.

David Guy
Assistant Director, ARK Consultancy

Michelle Hallmark
Behavioural Scientist and Managing Director, Creative Bridge

Jo Hannan
Head of Foundation, Fusion21

John Hannigan
Chief Executive and Chair, Circle Voluntary Housing Association and CIH Governing Board

Shaun Harley
Executive Director of People and Change, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership

Trish Harrington-Dicks
Service Improvement Manager and Vice-Chair of the CIH Professional Standards Committee, Abri

Paul Hassan
Partnership Manager, Ashley Community Housing

Dan Hawthorn
Executive Director, Housing & Social Investment, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

Dan has twenty years’ local government experience, for London boroughs and two Mayors of London, and currently leads Kensington and Chelsea’s work on housing and property. This includes building the borough’s first new council homes in a generation; the development of a new ‘social investment’ approach to municipal assets; and the wider transformation of services, strategy and culture following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Before that, Dan was Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning at Haringey Council; Head of the London 2012 team at the Greater London Authority; and former Mayor Ken Livingstone’s senior advisor on planning and development.

Ian Hembrow
Senior Consultant and Trainer, Creative Bridge

Dr Kelly Henderson
Founder and Managing Director, Addressing Domestic Abuse

Kelly is the founder and Managing Director of Addressing Domestic Abuse who undertakes research, evaluation and training on domestic abuse and works with housing providers to support them to improve their response to domestic abuse. Kelly co-founded the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance and has a range of housing experience including Director of Housing, roles in asylum, Supporting People Programme and housing policy and research. She has a Masters in Housing Policy and Management and a PhD on the role of housing in a co-ordinated community response to domestic abuse. Kelly is also a Non-executive Director of Believe Housing.

Kate Henderson
Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

Kate is Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation (NHF), the voice of housing associations in England. Kate is passionate about tackling the housing crisis, inequality and climate change. She is a member of several government panels including the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel and the Social Housing White Paper Expert Challenge Panel. Kate become a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2021. Prior to joining the NHF in 2018, Kate was Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association.

Natalia Hill
Board Member and Chair of Customer Service Committee, Walsall Housing Group Limited

Natalia was appointed to the whg Board in November 2020. She is Chair of whg’s Customer Service Oversight Committee and the Customer and Complaints Champion.

After working in business management, Natalia embarked upon a career change to bring together her passions for people development, business and law. She has worked at the University of Wolverhampton since 2015 where she is currently a Principal Lecturer and Head of Access and Widening Participation in the School of Nursing. Her previous roles included Faculty Registrar and Head of Corporate Governance.

Natalia has extensive experience working in a regulated environment and understands the complexities of adhering to multiple requirements and different types of legislation. A Governor at a local Hospital Trust, she is working towards achieving a PhD in Social Work and Social Care focussing on the transferable skills of single mothers.

Jo Hills
Director of assets and repairs, Ealing Council

John Hoarey
Senior Dispute Resolution Manager, Housing Ombudsman Service

Sue Hodgson
Resident and Member of Scrutiny Panel, Thurrock Council and Mears Group

Angela Holden
Director of Regulatory Engagement, Regulator of Social Housing

Dr Fiona Holland
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Derby University

Elly Hoult
Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive and President, Peabody and CIH

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 sits on the National Housing Federation’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group and is a member of the Green Spaces Advisory Board. She is the current President of the Chartered Institute of Housing,.

Ben Hunt
Managing Director, Case Management Solutions Group

Jennifer Hutchings
Group Wellbeing Manager, Places for People

Crystal Hicks
Director, Crisis

Crystal is an experienced housing professional and CIH member. She is Vice President of Women in social housing and was until recently lead for the CIH North East group. Working across the housing and homelessness sector for over a decade she is currently a Director at Crisis, whilst also sitting on the board of Church Housing Association. Known for her work in creating a fairer, more equitable sector for colleagues and tenants, Crystal is an influential advocate and campaigner locally and nationally.

"I’ve been actively involved in designing, delivering, and attending CIH and NHF events for a number of years. I’m passionate about ensuring that Summit represents a diverse range of voices, creating a platform for our tenants and those with lived experience of homelessness to shape our thinking and discussions. The Housing Community Summit is establishing itself as the must attend event of the year and I’m keen the programme is accessible and relevant for attendees – with everyone leaving feeling inspired, better informed and with new connections."

Alison Inman
Chair, Tpas

Alison Inman is the Chair of Tpas, the housing sector’s engagement organisation. She is a board member at Saffron Housing Trust, where she chairs the Service Quality Committee, Procurement for Housing, and Balkerne Gardens Trust.

Alison is a former Chair of Colchester Borough Homes and the National Federation of ALMOs and is a Co-founder of SHOUT, the social housing campaign group. She received an OBE in 2017 for services to social housing tenants.

Kai Jackson
Associate, Black Country Housing Group

Kai holds a BSc (Honours) degree in Psychology and Counselling with British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation. She has chaired a tenant scrutiny panel for over three years, leading reviews, shaping policies, handling complaints, and contributing to staff recruitment and cultural change within a housing association.

A strong advocate for tenant involvement, Kai is also a member of the National Housing Federation’s Tenants Advisory Panel, a Tpas Associate, and has collaborated with CIH, Inside Housing, and others in the sector. She authored the national project “Is There a Seat at the Table: Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement” and actively champions inclusive, stigma-free tenant engagement. Kai also contributes to a West Midlands think tank and a community-led housing commission.

David Jamieson
Assistant Professor (Practice) in Entrepreneurship Innovation and Strategy, Northumbria University

Matt Jarratt
Assistant Director of Operations, Procure Plus

Evie John
Managing Director, Inner Circle Consulting

Stephen Johnson
Member, Tenant Advisory Panel

Stephen Johnson was born in London and has lived in North Kensington since 1994. For many years, Stephen has been actively involved in his local community that was badly affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

He is a strong advocate of social housing residents holding their landlord to account by carrying out effective resident-led scrutiny and accountability of their performance.

Since 2014 has been Chair of the Kensington and Chelsea Scrutiny Panel for residents of Notting Hill Genesis. In May 2019 Stephen became a member of the Tenant Advisory Panel working alongside the National Housing Federation to help promote and support the landmark Together with Tenants Charter.

Tracey Johnson
Chief Executive, EPIC Housing

Tracey has been Chief Executive of EPIC since July 2022, having formerly been at Aspire Housing and The Regenda Group in Executive Director roles for Business Transformation/Corporate Services. Tracey first started working in social housing in 2002, when she first relocated from the Southeast to the Northwest, and had a brief time out of the sector in 2019. Tracey is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and in 2022 received an MBE for her work in the financial services sector for her support of local charities and staff wellbeing as a result of Covid.

Sojan Johny
Housing Coordinator, The Carbon Literacy Project

"Sojan is the Housing Coordinator at The Carbon Literacy Project, where he has been a part of the Sector Toolkits Team for over two years. Previously serving as the Healthcare and Housing Officer, he now focuses on supporting housing associations and organisations in the wider built environment in their Carbon Literacy journey, with a particular emphasis on helping staff and tenants understand climate change and build a sustainable lifestyle.

With a background in the Built Environment, Sojan holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Construction Project Management. Before joining the Project, he worked as a Project Engineer in Muscat, gaining valuable experience in the construction sector."

Sandy Jones
Environmental Health Officer, East Devon Council

Halisha Kaur
Chair, CIH Futures

Halisha joined housing through a graduate scheme in development following completing a degree in City and Regional Planning. Halisha’s passion for the sector drove her to volunteer for CIH Futures and become Chair. Halisha believes that “Housing is more than bricks and mortar, our jobs are about providing a safe, secure home and new life opportunities to allow our residents to thrive”. Halisha lobbies to make housing a career of choice for the next generation and to increase the diversity of voices heard within the sector.

Chelsea Kelly
Head of Community Safeguarding, Poplar HARCA

Chelsea is an accomplished safeguarding leader with over six years of experience as Head of Community Safeguarding at Poplar HARCA. She has built and led a high-performing team that has transformed service delivery and embedded safeguarding principles across the organisation’s housing and community operations. She spearheaded the successful implementation of the Housing First Project in partnership with St Mungo’s and Spitalfields Crypt Trust, delivering sustainable housing and support for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Known for her strategic vision and commitment to staff development, Chelsea champions innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and trauma-informed practice to drive meaningful change in safeguarding and housing.

Richard Kennedy
Co-founder, Cornerstone Place

Richard is co-Founder of Cornerstone Place, a Social Enterprise property development consultancy working with councils and charities to help fix the UKs broken housing system. He has an MBA from the University of Cape Town and London Business School and over 25 years of not-for-profit, social investment, corporate and hospitality experience with a strong track record in developing cross-organisational and cross-sector partnerships. Richard is also Chair of Mears Group PLCs ESG Board. Cornerstone Place exclusively delivers Impact First Social Housing which puts the assets in the hands of the impact makers for long-term societal benefit.

Louise Kennison
Owner, Cygnet HR

Sahil Khan
Director of Community Strategy, Partnerships & Funding, Peabody

Victoria King
Sector Learning and Development Lead, Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS)

Victoria King is the Sector Learning and Development Lead at the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) and is part of the Quality, Engagement and Development Department. Victoria is part of the team who deliver the Housing Ombudsman Service’ Centre for Learning, which is where HOS share learning from complaints and drive positive complaint handling across the sector. The function also provides insight into service provision from themes and trends in complaints to facilitate sector learning and a positive complaints culture for landlords and governance.

Anjali Manoj Kumar
Group Technology Director, Hyde Housing

Anjali Manoj Kumar is the Group Technology Director at The Hyde Group, where she leads the organisation’s digital and technology strategy. Since joining Hyde in 2020, Anjali has been instrumental in driving transformation across the business – modernising systems, enhancing data capabilities and embedding customer-first digital services with a security first approach.

With more than two decades of experience, Anjali brings a rich and diverse background, spanning multiple sectors including retail, food and beverage, FMCG, banking, and pharmaceuticals. Before joining Hyde, she spent six years at YUM! Brands, where she led several high-impact transformation programmes. Her earlier career includes leadership roles at global technology and consulting firms such as Infosys, Tata Infotech and US Software, delivering business-critical change across the UK and US.

Anjali is a member of Hyde’s Leadership Team and a recognised industry voice on inclusive digital transformation. She was featured in the Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure Index 2019, which celebrates 100 female role models across the sector.

Deirdre LaBassiere LL.B (Hons) FTLS
Head of Governance and Company Secretary and Board Member, Parasol Homes and Nehemiah United Churches Housing Association

Deirdre LaBassiere LL.B (Hons) FTLS brings over 15 years of strategic leadership and housing sector expertise to the Housing Community Summit. Known for her insightful stewardship, Deirdre has recently been appointed to the board of Nehemiah United Churches Housing Association, where she champions innovative approaches to affordable housing and community development. A fervent advocate for empowering underserved communities, she draws on her legal background and extensive experience in housing regulation to drive positive change. Deirdre is passionate about collaboration, sustainability, and delivering high-quality homes. As a respected thought leader, she remains deeply committed to creating vibrant, resilient communities for all

Akshita Lakhiwal
Net Zero Engagement, TPAS Cymru

As Net Zero Engagement Officer at TPAS Cymru, Akshita drives sustainable transformation in the housing sector. Drawing on her broadcast journalism background, she combines creative storytelling with strategic communication to promote net zero initiatives. Akshita is an expert in community engagement and innovation, focusing on creating meaningful impact through effective communication strategies that inspire sustainable action and positive change.

Liz Laurence
Programme Director, Homewards (The Royal Foundation)

Aoife Lawler
Senior Executive Officer, Fingal County Council

Mark Lawrence
Communications Manager, Housing Ombudsman Service

Mark Lawrence has worked in social housing for over 10 years and is the Communications Manager at the Housing Ombudsman, with responsibility for external publications, reports and sharing learning across the sector. Mark was previously Editor at 24housing magazine and also Senior Content Editor at HQN.

Sem Lee
Director and Founder, OURI Labs

Sem Lee is an urban strategist and social entrepreneur with over 11 years programme managing sustainability, communication and design projects. Deeply affected by our housing crisis founded OURI Labs, a practice specialising in participatory research and design working between urban planning policy and practice to help reduce the problem of the approximate £1.4bn cost to the NHS due to poor housing in the UK. Collaborators include Health Innovation North East North Cumbria, Greater London Authority, Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

"With the current challenges facing social housing delivery, this collaborative platform comes at a crucial time. I'm particularly passionate about social housing's vital role in addressing health inequalities, and I believe this summit will allow us to collectively explore creative solutions to meet ambitious housebuilding targets while ensuring we create homes that truly serve our communities' needs. The prospect of engaging with diverse perspectives and facilitating crucial, challenging discussions that will help shape the future of social housing makes this panel particularly exciting."

Sam Lister
Policy and Practice Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing

Sandy Livingstone
Executive Director of Property, Onward Homes

Sandy is the Executive Director of Property for Onward Homes, a developing housing association that owns and manages 35,000 homes across the North West. Sandy is responsible for the delivery of Onward’s development programme of 5,000 new homes by 2030, a £100m retrofit programme addressing some of Onward’s least energy-efficient properties, maintenance, and its strategic approach to asset management.

Karl Linder
Assistant Director, ARK Consultancy

Mark London
Senior Partner, Devonshires

Sarah Maguire
Head of Social Value, Fusion21

Sarah leads the strategic direction of all social value activities at Fusion21. With over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, she’s passionate about driving social value outcomes for local communities. A recognised thought leader in implementing social value strategies through planning legislation, Sarah has overseen the generation of over £155m in social impact at Fusion21.

Dedicated to equality and diversity, Sarah is committed to providing fair opportunities for all. She is an active member of Social Value UK and participates in regional and national leadership groups. Sarah holds an MA in Cultural Leadership and is currently pursuing a CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply

Shels Maguire
Tenant Board Member, Hedyn

Chris Marshall
Chief Operating Officer, Railway Housing Association

Chris Marshall is Chief Operating Officer at Railway Housing Association, and the executive lead for consumer standards and regulation. Chris leads the organisation’s approach to community housing, asset management, customer services, and regulatory compliance. Since joining in 2024, Chris has driven significant organisational change, including an operating model review and restructure, a refreshed Asset Management Strategy, and a new approach to resident engagement, to ensure that resident voices really drive the strategic and operational priorities of Railway. He is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and also serves as Chair of Governance and Remuneration for a North East-based charity.

Dr Guy Marshall
Chief Technology Officer and Board Member, Fuza and One Manchester

Guy is a seasoned technology leader and AI specialist with over 15 years of experience driving digital transformation across diverse industries including retail, defence, gaming, logistics, and the built environment. In addition to his role as fractional Chief Technology Officer of PorthouseDean Structural Engineers, he serves on the board of One Manchester. A Chartered Mathematician and active Council Member at the Manchester Statistical Society, Guy is dedicated to advancing the application of data and fostering collaborative innovation. He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Theoretical Physics from King’s College London, and an MA in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Guy's blend of strategic leadership experience and deep technical knowledge makes him a trusted advisor for organisations seeking to leverage AI and NLP technologies to drive transformative change.

Jack Mason
LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Project Co‑ordinator, Stonewall Housing

Jack Mason (he/him) works as the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Coordinator for Stonewall Housing. In this role, he supports social housing providers of all shapes and sizes with LGBTQ+ inclusive practices. In a previous job, Jack managed LGBTQ+ older people and dementia services down in sunny Brighton, and is particularly interested in the intersections of LGBTQ+ health and ageing.

Professor Vikki McCall
Professor of Social Policy, University of Stirling

Peter McBride
Director, Mixergy

Sarah McClelland
Associate Director, Sustainability, Turner and Townsend

Nic McGrath
Director, Newground Together

Nic McGrath has been Director of Newground Together since 2018, a registered charity which is an integral part of the Together Housing Group, one of the largest Housing Associations in the North of England. Nic leads Together Housing's Social Value Strategy, which focuses on empowering individuals through employment and enhancing community wellbeing. A key priority is supporting residents to secure work, training and volunteering opportunities. Nic is a passionate advocate for partnership working, believing that collaborations with community organisations, local authorities and social housing providers create the most effective networks to maximise support for communities.

Stephen McManus
Station Manager, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

Elaine Middleton
Head of Partnerships, The Social Housing Roundtable

Elaine has spent the last 18 years working in the housing sector in a range of roles, regulators, and senior leadership teams, and understands the complexities, challenges and opportunities social housings brings. A key champion for change, improvement and innovation, she works with social housing organisations and sector partners to use customer feedback, insights and technologies to build strategies and action plans that stay true to an organisation's vision and purpose, while balancing the changing needs of both residents and regulators.

Shurreen Miles
Housing Officer, Brighter Places

Oliver Mooney
Head of Category, Fusion21

Oliver has worked in the wider construction and built environment sector for over 15 years. Originally from a construction project management background, he has spent the past 9 years working in public procurement.

In his current role he leads a team focussed on the procurement of capital works contracts across a range of sectors, scale and complexity. Oliver is responsible for the development and implementation of Fusion21's framework products and ensuring that services meet the needs of members and supply chains.

He has been a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) since 2018 and is currently completing a Masters in Public Procurement Law and Policy.

Stephanie Morphew
Policy and Practice Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing

Mustafa Mustafa
Decarbonisation Director, Morgan Sindall

Lisa Naylor
Head of Built for Zero, Crisis

Lisa is Head of Built for Zero UK at the homeless charity Crisis. She has overall responsibility for bringing the Built for Zero movement to the UK and helping Crisis to meet its aim of ‘Building a community of people across Britain helping to end homelessness’. Lisa has experience in the homelessness and social housing sector both on the front-line and as a consultant and she has also worked within the family law field. Lisa is driven by a passion to redesign our systems from the ground up to ensure that those who are the furthest away from help get the support that they need to achieve their potential.

Simon Newcombe
Corporate Manager for Public Health, Regulation and Housing, Mid Devon District Council

Amanda Newton
Chief Executive, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

Amanda took up her role as the new permanent Chief Executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing in September 2023. Her professional experience spans private and public sectors with her most recent experience being in senior roles in the social housing sector. This has spanned governance and business improvement, leading customer facing services and delivering high impact social investment programmes that make a huge difference to people being able to thrive. She is now leading RBH through its transformation back to regulatory compliance with a focus on shaping services for and with our customers whilst making it easy for the people in our business to deliver.

Amanda has a relentless focus on delivering great services that make a difference to the people living in our homes and communities. She believes that those people working in customer facing roles should be able to do so seamlessly and with a passion that makes a real difference to customers. She believes that our customers should be able to expect to live a warm, safe home and is focusing RBH on delivering this fundamental objective for social landlords.

Dr Aasia Nisar
Board Director, TPAS

Aasia is an experienced housing professional with more than 25 years’ experience in the housing sector, but her real niche is resident involvement, community development, engagement as well as leading on transformation and governance projects. She is committed to ensuring residents’ voices are heard, making a real difference as to how services are delivered. Aasia has led on a number of successful reviews including co-creation modelling, scrutiny development, community engagement as well as housing regulatory reviews. Aasia, who has a PhD in Sociology and Social policy specialising in community engagement and sustainability, has also worked on several European Social Funded projects, as well as writing major funding applications for the National Lottery and other funding providers.

Rory Nixon
Head of Strategic Partnerships and Key Accounts, ECO Surv

Rory has 10 years’ experience supporting the industry across a range of energy efficiency schemes. He specialises in guiding housing associations and principal contractors through complex retrofit programmes, offering hands-on support to deliver compliant and effective outcomes.

Clare Oakley
Executive Director of Corporate Services, Your Housing Group

Gerraint Oakley
Chief Development and Growth Officer, Platform

Gerraint is executive director of growth and development at Platform Housing Group, a 50,000-home housing association based in the Midlands.

His previous roles include managing director of Curo’s house-building business in Bath and regional managing director of Keepmoat Homes South West. He has over 35 years of experience in property, real estate, asset management, development, and urban regeneration.

Gerraint joined Barratt Developments Plc in 2008 where he worked throughout the UK in Barratt and David Wilson Homes Divisions. Prior to joining Barratt, he worked for Vodafone for 10 years where he was a global strategy director specialising in real estate and development. He is a board member and chair of the development committee at Ongo Homes.

He has a passion for developing affordable homes, creating opportunities for apprenticeships, graduate programmes, and access to employment for those who would otherwise find it difficult to access such opportunities. He also undertakes coaching and mentoring for people starting out in their careers or those looking to develop in their careers.

Gerraint is a keen long-distance cyclist, which he does to raise funds for children’s charities.

Hasan Okyar Bayraktar
Senior Vice President, Plentific

Paul O'Callaghan
Assistant Director, ARK Consultancy

Most recently, Paul was responsible for securing and delivering consultancy projects at Housemark. Prior to this, Paul was the Customer Experience and Strategy Director at Aster Group, a large housing association in the Southwest of England. His extensive previous experience includes roles with Peabody, Harrow Council, Haringey Council, Tower Hamlets Homes, The Guinness Partnership, Midland Heart, and Birmingham City Council.

Paul’s specialisms include housing operations, strategy and policy development, service design, performance management, contact centre management, complaints, resident engagement, and regulatory compliance.

Katie O'Connor
Impact Research and Implementation Lead, Greater Change

Rev James Olanipekun
Chair, London Borough of Tower Hamlets Safer Neighbourhoods Board

Reverend James Olanipekun has lived in Poplar since 1991. He has been a member of Tower Hamlets Council’s overview and scrutiny committee; Chair of London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ Safer Neighbourhood Board (Mile End Ward); is a trustee of Tower Hamlets Street Pastors, Raine’s Foundation Trust, and Christ Apostolic Church.

He is also the immediate past vice-chair of Poplar housing and regeneration community association board in East London and is the current chair of one of the estate boards in Poplar Harca stock. Reverend James Olanipekun was a pioneer member of the Housing and Diversity Network London Region steering board.

Reverend James Olanipekun is a trained teacher, author of six published books on Christian topics. He has been a volunteer Pastor for over twenty years for a diverse congregation and was a recipient of the 2015 LBTH Civic Award for Outstanding Services to the community. Reverend James Olanipekun is happily married to Jummy and blessed with children who are also involved in the community positively.

Ayo Onibokun
Resident Support Lead, L&Q

Ayo was living in an L&Q Property in 2019 when she joined L&Q as a Homeownership Customer Service Advisor. She was keen to get on the property ladder, but unfortunately the property did not qualify under the Right to Acquire nor Right to Buy Scheme. Ayo then purchased her shared ownership property in 2020 from Golding Homes but following a recent strategic disposal the property is now managed by Southern housing and the new landlord is New Arch. In 2022, Ayo started her current role as Resident Support Lead.

Owain Samuel Owen
Head of Property Capital, Adra

Head of Property for Adra (Tai) Cyf, LSVT based in Bangor, North Wales, with a stock of approx. 7,500 homes across five North Wales Counties. Current role leads on capital investment program as well as WHQS and asset data management.

Have been with Adra since January 2022, prior to this worked as a project manager in the private sector, most recently on a 3-year Nuclear decommissioning project at Trawsfynydd, and before that for an SME based on the Isle of Anglesey that carried out social housing new build developments as well as extensive retrofit works on existing RSL properties.

Started career in local authority, initially training and qualifying as a chartered Electrical and Mechanical design engineer, before progressing to holding various roles within management of compliance and maintenance teams.

Georgina Patel
Sustinability Consultant, The Carbon Literacy Project

Josie Parsons
Chief Executive, Local Space

Josie came to Local Space as Finance Director in 2018 with extensive Director experience in broad portfolio roles in the private and not-for-profit sectors. She took over the role of CEO in 2019. Josie has a wealth of experience of business modelling, development and new business appraisal and a track record of meeting all key targets. Her vision is to ensure that Local Space delivers its growth strategy and achieves the best possible customer experience over the coming years as well as being a great place to work by becoming a ‘people first’ organisation. Josie is committed to partnership, transparency, fairness and equality in every area of Local Space’s operations.

Abbie Peel
Communities and Place Making Manager, Home Group

Lesley Penton
Director of Partnerships, The Regenda Group

With over 20 years’ experience working in regeneration and the housing sector. Lesley Penton is the Director of Partnerships for The Regenda Group, a regeneration organisation spanning housing, construction, education and charity. Her role is to develop strategic partnerships to support regeneration across the north west, providing opportunities for people and places to thrive. As a trained community organiser Lesley is a founding member of Liverpool Citizens (part of Citizens UK) who are committed to building a better, fairer society and to win change. Lesley sits on Citizens UK national temporary housing group and is passionate about the opportunities and impact social housing can have on people’s lives.

Sue Phillips
Founder, Shared Ownership Resources

Dewbien Plummer
Associate, Housing Diversity Network, Co-chair, HouseProud and Strategic Lead for Housing Complaints, Lewisham Council Housing Services

Dewbien has decades of operational experience in the sector, (local authority and housing association), with a background in leasehold and repairs and maintenance.

Matt Powell
Relationship Manager, Aico

Nivene Powell
Resident Empowerment Manager, Housing Solutions

Nikkie Pullen
Head of Organisational Development, Abri

Hony Premlal
Chief Executive and Chair, Hony Premlal Consulting, Eldon Housing & WISH

Hony Premlal is a much sought-after, highly regarded executive in the Social Housing sector with an experience spanning nearly three decades. She has a proven career track record in small and large housing providers, where she has held several executive and non-executive positions including Managing Director.

Hony is the Founder and CEO at Hony Premlal Consultancy, an organisation that provides executive mentoring/coaching and housing consultancy services. She also fulfils the role of Chair for Eldon Housing and WISH London. She holds board memberships with SCLT and Trinity Housing, in addition to being a Regional Group Member of the CIH.

Jen Radcliffe
Head of Partnerships, Places for People Thrive

Jen Radcliffe is Head of Partnerships for PFP Thrive which is part of Places for People. Jen brings over 20 years of experience working with social housing partners in the recruitment and training sectors. She’s widely recognised for her knowledge of the sector, keeping up to date with emerging trends, legislation, and industry developments.

Jen is also a passionate advocate for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, working closely with clients to promote equal career opportunities. Most recently, she has been involved in the CIH’s ‘Choose Housing’ campaign and sits on the board of Women in Social Housing (WISH) Northwest, where she champions women’s career progression in the sector.

Kevin Rhone
Head of Social Value and Customer Care, Novus Solutions

Rebecca Rieley
Head of Communities and Projects, HACT

Annemarie Roberts
Interim Director of Operations and Associate Director, SOHO Housing and Disruptive Innovators Network

Mike Roberts
Business Development Manager, Cardo Group

Tom Robins
CEO, Switchee

Julie Robinson
Executive Director, Greatwell Homes

Ian Rutherford
Co-Chair, Citizens UK National Leadership Team, Methodist Central Hall Manchester

Revd. Ian Rutherford is the City Centre Minister based at Methodist Central Hall Manchester . Central Hall is a hub for social justice, a centre for mission and service, and a place for public theology. Ian is committed to civic and community engagement and to social justice and his current priorities in Greater Manchester are Housing and Homelessness, Food Security, Refugee Support, and Action on Climate Change. Ian is the Faith Sector Lead on Homelessness and Housing for Mayor Andy Burnham and Vice-Chair and Trustee of the Greater Manchester Mayor`s Charity. He is Co-Chair of the National Leadership Team of Citizens UK and a member of its Housing Action Team.

Cem Savas
Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Plentific

Penelope Schofield
Senior Coroner, Senior Coroner for West Sussex

Matthew Scott
Policy Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing

Helen Scurr
Executive Director, ARK Consultancy

Helen leads ARKs People division; she has a keen interest in personal development and has been instrumental in leading cultural change and transformation programmes. She works with organisations to create powerful and empowering cultures that ensure their overall success, supporting their organisational development and improving performance. She also heads up the ARK Academy which offers innovative – and bespoke - training and personal development solutions to organisations and their staff.

Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing, who has influenced housing policy and practice as a former Trustee on the CIH National Council and Regional Board Chair. She has extensive non-executive experience joining the boards of training and JV companies and supporting boards, committees and supporting members across a wide range of organisational structures.

Helen has worked at executive and senior level with several RPs during the last twenty-five years as well as leading and managing a range of diverse services..

Nick Sedgwick
Associate Director, ARK Consultancy

Elly Shepherd
Head of Housing Policy, Assurance and Performance, London Borough of Camden

Natalie Sidwick
Relationship Manager, Aico

Gavin Smart
Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Housing

Prior to becoming CEO Gavin served as both Deputy CEO and, before that, Director of Policy and Practice at the CIH. Before joining CIH Gavin worked at the National Housing Federation (NHF), latterly as Assistant Director for Research and Futures where he led the NHF’s research and analysis function, it’s future facing thinking and it’s policy work on finance and government investment. Gavin joined the NHF from a spell working for the UK civil service commissioning research and analysis into a variety of housing policy areas. He began his career as an academic researcher at the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.

Paul Smith
Director, Foundations

With over 30 years’ experience in housing, Paul works with local authorities, housing associations and central government to improve how home adaptations are delivered. He was part of the independent review of DFGs in 2018 and co-authored the national guidance published in 2022.

Paul leads several national initiatives to improve delivery and standards across the sector—including the Trusted Assessor programme, the DFG Quality Mark, and the Home Adaptations Installer Network.

He brings a practical, person-centred approach to system design, focused on speeding up delivery, reducing complexity, and supporting people to live well at home.

Dawn Snowball
Tenant & trainee board member, Karbon Homes

Tom Sowerby
Customer Relationship Director, Wates Group

As an active member of CIH East Midlands, Tom is passionate about maximising the resident benefits of the net zero carbon transition. Tom works alongside a range of social housing providers on a daily basis to bring added value and innovation to scheme delivery. Responsible for retrofit delivery to over 12,000 social homes nationally, he is able to draw from WPS’ broad experiences to share lessons learnt across a range of projects.

Emily Spurrell
Police Crime Commissioner, Merseyside Police Force

Emily is in her second term as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Merseyside. She was first elected in May 2021 and re-elected in May 2024 with 61.7% of the public vote.

As PCC, Emily has prioritised preventing crime, tackling Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), improving police scrutiny and transparency, and supporting victims of crime. These are encapsulated in Emily’s Police and Crime Plan for the region, which focuses on three key pillars:

• Fighting Crime and ASB;
• Supporting Victims;
• Preventing Harm.

Emily is the Chair of the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners enabling her to be part of national conversations in relation to police reform and bring best practice back to the region.

Prior to being elected, Emily was Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, and she served as a Liverpool City Councillor leading on Community Safety.

Becca Stenson
Marketing Manager, Switch2

Alison Stewart
Lived Experience Speaker, Teacher and Member, Learning and Work Institute and Women of Newport

Alison's journey from childhood trauma and years of addiction to recovery is one of resilience and transformation. After a difficult upbringing in foster care and battling heroin addiction on the streets, she entered Hope House Rehabilitation centre, where faith and support helped her heal and reclaim her life.

Today, she is a teacher and foster parent, dedicated to helping others find hope and purpose, inspired by the love and support that helped her build her own life.

Emily Stockford
Sustainability Strategy Manager, Stonewater

Lynsey Sweeney
Managing Director, Communities that Work

Lynsey Sweeney is the Managing Director of Communities that Work. She has worked across housing, employment and skills for 15 years with Communities that Work and the National Housing Federation. Lynsey was a Director at a central London Further Education College and consulted for KPMG on their World Class Skills programme. Prior to this, she worked for VSO in China, Ethiopia and London.

Jez Sweetland
Project Director, Housing Festival and Bristol City Council

Jez has initiated and managed strategic development in a variety of settings. His previous positions include CEO of Guildhall Barrister’s Chambers, and CEO of a charitable national skills training organisation. He founded the Bristol Housing Festival in 2018 and believes collaboration is the key to lasting social development. Jez lives in Bristol with his wife, Joanna and his three children.

Jan Taranczuk
Independent Consultant, National Social Housing Fire Strategy Group

Natalie Tate
Project Lead for Talking About Homes, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Natalie supports communicators in the housing sector to frame their communications so they build public understanding of why our homes matter. Natalie leads on the Talking about Homes project, which is co-funded by the Nationwide Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. She has over 20 years’ experience working in housing communications, across internal and external communications, policy and campaigns.

Paul Towers
Framework Manager (Construction and Decarbonisation), Fusion21

Richard Tyrie
Founder and Chief Executive, GoodPeople

Richard is founder and CEO of social enterprise, GoodPeople. Richard has extensive experience designing and delivering Social Impact programmes on behalf of public and private sector clients across the UK. His work typically focuses on inclusive growth – by supporting diverse and under-represented local communities into good work.

As leading advocates for responsible development and regeneration, GoodPeople are delivering a ‘Net Zero Careers Accelerator’ - a pan-London Green Skills programme to deliver a ‘Just-Transition’ – supporting diverse, local communities into good, green jobs. Programme partners include: London’s largest Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Colleges and Universities and a number of major developers and Housebuilders and their supply chains. The programme aims to place 2,500 people per year into green jobs.

Ceri Theobald
Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership

Stacey Thwaites
Building Safety Project Lead – Customer & Stakeholder Engagement, Gentoo Group

Mike Turner
Executive Director, Cardo Group

Ellen Vernon
Assistant Director of Programmes (Places), Local Government Association

Lili Vetter
EDI Specialist, Wythenshawe Homes

Henrik von Bahr
Vice President of Sales, Plentific

Henrik von Bahr, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, strategy solutions, and business development, with a particular focus on the UK social housing sector and change management. Henrik's impressive career spans top-tier financial institutions, including Nomura, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank, where he developed a passion for investment.

Henrik holds a Master of Science in Business and Economics from the prestigious Stockholm School of Economics. His enthusiasm for innovation has led him to invest in several start-up and scale-up businesses. Notably, he was one of the first investors in Plentific, drawn by the team's diversity and the founders' ambition. After closely following Plentific's remarkable journey, Henrik is eager to contribute to the company's continued growth and success.

John Wallace
Director of Procurement, Clarion Housing Group

John began his career in the brewing industry becoming a qualified Master Brewer. Having spent 10 years in brewing production, John moved onto various brewing procurement roles prior to spending 2 years in the food sector working for one of the country’s leading chilled food producers. In 2006, he joined the NHS being involved in the growth and development of two regional procurement organisations before moving to Housing with senior procurement roles at Anchor, MTVH and now Clarion Housing Group.

Rebecca Ward
Senior Housing Standards & Enforcement Officer, West Lindsey District Council

Ian Wardle
Chief Executive, A2Dominion Group

Ian joined A2Dominion in September 2022, having previously been Chief Executive at Thirteen Group since 2016. Prior to this, Ian was Managing Director of Reading Borough Council, Director of Regeneration Services at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Project Director for the Sunniside Regeneration Project in Sunderland, and Development Director at Taylor Wimpey.

Anne Waterhouse
Chief Executive, Wandle

Anne became Wandle Housing Association’s Chief Executive in April 2023 and is a Co-optee to Wandle’s Board.

Anne joined Wandle from A2Dominion, where she had been for 16 years, holding a variety of senior roles – including as interim CEO in 2021/22, and most recently as Deputy CEO and Executive Director (Central & Financial Services).

Anne has a proven track record within the housing sector and will be responsible for undertaking the delivery of Wandle’s corporate strategic plan to 2028, to ensure that Wandle continues to support people across south London who need a home.

Alan Ward
Consultant Director, Savills

Heidi Waters
Strategic Lead for Housing and Climate Change, Calderdale Council

I have worked in housing since joining Calderdale Council (based in Halifax, West Yorkshire) in 1994. I spent my first five years working on various housing estates across the borough as a Housing Officer, before moving into housing strategy and enabling work. During my 30+ years in housing, I have worked in a range of roles, including project management, homelessness and supported housing. I am currently Strategic Lead for Housing and Climate Change, which includes managing the housing service, including: affordable warmth; home improvements; retrofit work; empty homes; strategic housing; development of new homes; work with Registered Providers; and providing homelessness services.

Our Homelessness Service includes our Housing Options team, homelessness prevention, Temporary Accommodation and Support Service, Young Person’s team, the Migration and Resettlement team, Homes for Ukraine and Women’s Refuge Support team. We manage a women’s refuge and a temporary accommodation facility, along with a number of dispersed temporary accommodation units.

In addition to my housing responsibilities, I also lead on climate work, which includes sustainable travel, air quality and making homes sustainable and energy efficient. I have also managed a number of other services during my time at the Council, including Environmental Health, Pest Control and my favourite – becoming Chief Bin Lady for the borough whilst managing the Waste Management service, which meant being responsible for both waste collection and disposal.

I am also Chair of Trustees at Calderdale’s Citizen’s Advice service, Chair of Governors at a school in Halifax and a governor at another school.

Helen Watkinson
Resident Panel Member, Housing Ombudsman and Tenant Scrutiny Panel Member, EMH Homes

I’ve always had an interest in being part of the community and making a difference, so when the opportunity arose to become an engaged resident I was keen to get involved.

My personal experience of the complaints procedure at emh gave me insight on the issues faced by residents and once things had been resolved, I began to think about how I could stop this happening to other residents.

I joined the Scrutiny Panel as I felt my skills were really suited to the role, with my main enthusiasm focused on compliance and the delivery of a good service, and I am in my 3^rd year of holding the position of Chair.

The panel has an important role in identifying areas of the business that need improvement and we work on investigating then making recommendations in these areas, ensuring the best interests of both residents and emh.

Subsequently seeing how things have changed and improved because of customer influence has been really satisfying.

The Regulator’s inspection was my first experience in this type of highly focussed audit and I found the experience both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time, especially with the new Consumer Standard which was to be assessed.

Whilst we didn’t attain a C1 this time round and were awarded a C2, everyone is pulling together as a team on our journey “Pathway to C1” to make it happen.

One of the observations from the Regulator cited a gap in hearing the resident voice at Group Board level, so the Scrutiny Panel have been closely involved in the consultation of an engaged resident redesign, which is currently being developed.

We are looking forward to the new engagement structure being delivered in the very near future and with that a stronger resident voice across the whole business.

Kirsty Wells
Assistant Director, ARK Consultancy

Kirsty is an experienced housing professional with a career spanning 28 years. The last 25 of these have been with national membership organisations in Scotland and the UK; most recently she was the Director of Consultancy with Housemark. Kirsty’s passion and expertise lies in housing policy and tenant and resident influence. Kirsty is the inaugural Chair of Women in Social Housing (WISH) in Scotland and previously served eight years as a CIH Scotland board member. Kirsty is a strategic thinker supporting landlords to meet the demands of government policy and regulation with their tenants and residents at the heart of their business operations and performance improvement. She is clear that data should not drive unintended consequences or behaviours from landlords but must be used to improve services and outcomes for tenants. Data is the ‘can-opener’ from which to review and improve. She supports clients to manage change by growing capacity in individuals and teams through facilitation, negotiation and coaching. Communication, adaptability, ethics and high emotional intelligence are at the heart of her approach to meeting the changing needs of her clients. She has supported numerous landlords to embed their tenant engagement activities and in partnership with CIH Scotland she led Housemark Scotland’s involvement in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s national ‘Stepping Up to Scrutiny’ programme.

Tim West
Director, ARK Consultancy

Tim is Development Director at ARK Housing Consultancy and has enjoyed a career of over 25 years within the housing sector.

Initially working in Housing Management for Luton Borough Council and then Strategy and Policy for Bedford Borough Council, Tim moved into Development at Raglan and then Jephson Housing Associations, working predominantly in business growth roles. He then moved into the private sector working as Partnerships Director for two regional building contractors before joining ARK in early 2024.

He is a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and holds a degree in Social Policy and Politics and a post graduate diploma in Housing Studies.

Helen White
Chief Executive, Taff Housing Association

Helen joined Taff in August 2019.

Having started her housing career working in tenant participation she remains passionate about making sure the needs of tenants and communities are central to how services are designed and delivered.

Helen spends her spare time paddle boarding or watching her two young sons trying out new tricks at various local skate parks.

Kieron White
Co-founder and Chief Executive, Leading AI

Regional Judge David Whitney
Regional Judge, First-Tier Tribunal

The First-tier Tribunal is a lower-level tribunal in the UK court system, serving as the first stage of appeal for many decisions made by government departments or other public bodies. It's a more accessible and less formal system than higher courts, aiming to provide a fair and efficient resolution of disputes. The First-tier Tribunal has several specialized chambers, each dealing with a specific area of law.

Simon Will
Executive Director, Cardo Group

Cerys Williams
Business Development Manager for Wales, E.ON

Matt Williams
Neighbourhood Dispute Officer, Wales & West Housing Association

Morris Williams
Procurement Manager, L&Q

Rachael Williamson
Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, Chartered Institute of Housing

Rachael Williamson is director of policy, communications and external affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing where she has worked since 2021. Prior to joining CIH, Rachael held senior roles at Citizens Advice and in central government, including the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Rachael is a passionate advocate for the housing profession.

BlueSky: @rachaelwhsg.bsky.social

David Wilton
Chief Executive, TPAS Cymru

Laura Wood
Founder and Director, Invisible Creations

Allister Young
Chief Executive, Coastline Housing