Jesse Fajemisin
Executive Director of Business Operations, Mount Green Housing Association

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.

Jo Allen
Head of Member Relations, National Housing Federation

Jo Allen is Head of Member Relations at the National Housing Federation where she has worked since 2015. Prior to joining the Federation, she worked in policy and public affairs roles in local government, the banking sector and the British Embassy in Madrid.

Richard Blakeway
Housing Ombudsman

Richard was appointed as Housing Ombudsman from 1 September 2019. He has extensive experience in the housing sector, with previous roles including Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, chair of the Homes for London board and non-executive director of Homes England. During his eight years at the Greater London Authority, Richard was responsible for a major investment programme, overseeing the delivery of 100,000 affordable homes and regeneration plans for 670 hectares of land owned by the authority. Richard led the creation of the first team at City Hall to address rough sleeping, commissioning around £10 million of services each year, as well as the first Social Impact Bond on homelessness.

Lee Bloomfield
Chief Executive, Manningham Housing Association

Lee has been Chief Executive at Manningham Housing Association based in Bradford since January 2018. His career, spanning more than two and a half decades within the housing sector, has encompassed a broad spectrum of roles across diverse organisations, including local authorities, ALMOs, and housing associations. Prior to his current role, Lee held the position of Chief Executive at a BAME housing association based in Leeds. During his career he has exhibited his expertise in corporate governance, business development, organisational transformation, and strategic leadership.

Lee's unwavering commitment to advancing inclusivity and diversity is evident from his prior role as Vice-Chair of the Housing Diversity Network. He possesses a deep-seated passion for driving positive change and enhancing services tailored to the needs of BAME communities. Throughout his career journey, Lee consistently showcased his dedication to improving and evolving services that address the unique requirements of these communities. Additionally, Lee currently serves as a board member for a BAME Housing Association located in London.

Cedric Boston
Chief Executive, Unity Homes and Enterprise

Cedric Boston is currently the CEO of Unity Homes and Enterprise, a Housing Association based in Leeds that supports people into employment, training or to set up their own business. Cedric has over 30 years’ experience in Housing, 25 of them at senior executive level. He is a former Chief Executive of Arhag, a BME association in London that specializes in addressing the needs of migrants and refugees. Prior to that he was Director of Housing at Lambeth Living, one of the UKs largest ALMOs. He has a degree in law and politics from Keele University and is a member of Gray’s Inn where he qualified as a barrister.

Brian Boullier
Head of Technology and Digital Transformation, Community Gateway

Stuart Brown
Senior Associate, Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Samuel Bruce
Head of Housing and Communities, Centre for Social Justice

There are many reasons to love working at the CSJ, but the most significant is its commitment to learning from brilliant charities in addressing social policy issues. Conducting research here has enabled me to combine experience from backgrounds in academic research, the charity sector, and political advocacy.

I completed a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences at University College Maastricht and the University of California, Berkeley. Following this, I conducted research and taught at the University of Oxford, completing an MPhil and DPhil (PhD) focused on political philosophy. I have been a charity Trustee for ten years and have taken a keen interest in politics, having previously been an intern for a think tank, several MPs (both Labour and Conservative) and two Crossbench Peers.

Karen Cooper
Chief Executive, Penge Churches Housing Association & Chair, G320

Appointed as Chief Exec of PCHA in December 2016, Karen has worked at a senior level within the social housing and voluntary sector for over 30 years. Her interest in social housing came from being homeless herself when she was pregnant with her daughter; she realised that having a safe affordable home is an essential building block for life. She started off working in supported housing for people with mental health problems, and then went on to be the Chief Exec of three small community-based housing associations. In 2006 she set up her own consultancy business and since then has worked with a range of housing and support providers, offering advice and training to enable them to improve services, successfully engage tenants, and achieve their visions. Karen has served on various Boards, including HYDE, and more recently was the Chair of Evolve Housing and Support for 5 years. Karen was appointed as Chair of g320 in 2020.

Steve Cross
Technical Director, PIB Insurance Brokers

Steve Cross is the Technical Director for PIB Insurance Brokers, one of the UK’s leading independent specialist insurance and risk management advisers. He has been a corporate broker for 30 years and specialises in Financial Lines, Tech, Cyber & global programmes. Also a proud member of TechUK and a keen lover of motorsport and international travel.

Jon Deakin
Head of Business Development, Evolve Housing and Support

Kate Dodsworth
Chief of Regulatory Engagement, Regulator of Social Housing

Kate started her housing career in homelessness before moving to the National Housing Federation where she was Assistant Director covering London the South East and East of England. She moved to Amicus Horizon in 2013, sitting on the Executive team for five years during which it became Optivo. Kate took on the role of Chief Executive at Gateway Housing Association in 2018. She is also one of the founding members of Leadership 2025, which was set up to address diversity gaps in housing leadership, and is a trustee of the charity that is taking this work forward.

Tracey Downie
Chief Executive, Women’s Pioneer Housing

Tracy joined Women’s Pioneer as Chief Executive in 2022. She was previously Executive Director of Housing Management at Homes for Haringey and brings over 25 years’ experience in the housing sector primarily working in London-based housing associations with a commitment to resident engagement, community development and challenging inequality.

She brings a wealth of experience from past senior, executive and non-executive roles to her role as CEO. Tracey mentors through the Future of London Leaders programme and is Board Chair of Ekaya Housing Association.

Bill Dunkerley
Associate Partner- Regulatory, Pannone Corporate LLP

Bill Dunkerley is an associate partner and accredited Solicitor-Advocate with Pannone Corporate, and advises both individual and corporate clients across the full spectrum of criminal regulatory interventions, including those undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive, Regulator of Social Housing and local authorities, as well as associated inquest proceedings. He has been described by the legal directories as, “exceptionally hard working and clever… a safe pair of hands.” Bill represented RBH in respect of the inquest touching upon the death of Awaab Ishak, which concluded in November 2022.

Chris Fawcett
Chief Executive, Eden Housing Association

Chris has 15 years’ experience in social housing and working with rural communities. Now as Chief Executive of Eden Housing Association a community rooted and tenant focused organisation working across the North of the Lake District in Cumbria. Chris also Chair’s the Board for Railway Housing Association - founded in 1919 by rail workers to provide affordable homes for ex-colleagues returning from the first world war.

Graeme Foster
Chief Executive, Alpha Living

Maggie Galliers CBE

Maggie has over a decade of non-Executive experience in the education sector, recruiting and performance managing CEO’s and senior executives at both local and national level. Previous to this she worked in education for over 40 years, including 15 years acting as CEO at several colleges.

Most recently Maggie has served as chair of The National Learning and Work Institute since 2016 and is Pro Chancellor and Chair of Council for Buckinghamshire New University. She was awarded a CBE in 2009 in recognition of her services to local and national further education.

Kevin Garvey
Head of Member Services, National Housing Federation

Prior to joining NHF Kevin worked in roles in public affairs, Parliament, Shelter and local government.

Angela Gascoigne
Chief Executive, SHAL Housing

Angela has been CEO at SHAL since 2014 and a housing professional since 1981. She has been a member of numerous boards within the voluntary sector including being Chair of Llamau 2010-2016 a charity which supports young people, women and children who are homeless. Angela was Chair of the Early Help Strategic Commissioning Board for Somerset County Council for the last 4 years and now chairs the Rural Housing Alliance. She is passionate about restorative practice and regularly works with people across the US and the UK to deepen her knowledge and skills.

John Ghader
Chief Executive Officer, Prima Group

John has worked in the housing sector for over 35 years, both within local authorities and housing associations, with 20 of those years gained at senior and executive levels. John also spent some time working for the Audit Commission (Lead Housing Inspector) and the Regulator (RSH) (Senior Regulation Manager). John is currently CEO of Prima Group, a medium sized association operating across the Liverpool City Region. John has overall responsibility for delivering the Group’s Corporate Strategy, is accountable for Prima Housing and Prima Commercial and developing external partnerships. John is also an Executive Member of Prima’s Commercial and Group Boards, has been an RSH NED appointee and holds a NED role within the ‘for-profit sector.

Jacob Gledhill
Policy and Project Manager, Social Housing Fund, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Tracey Gore
Director, Steve Biko Housing Association

Chris Hampson
Chief Executive, Look Ahead Housing & Care

Chris was appointed Look Ahead’s Chief Executive in January 2015 after 15 years at the organisation, including time as both a Director and Deputy Chief Executive. He has extensive strategic experience of shaping care and support services, including the acquisition and integration of several specialist subsidiaries into a group structure.

Chris has more than 25 years’ experience working in housing and social care, including research and campaigning on behalf of the National Housing Federation and in new business, policy, and communications for two London housing associations. Chris has an unwavering focus on safeguarding, compliance and governance, and a strong personal commitment to championing the integration of care and support, health, and housing on a national level. He has previously chaired the National Housing Federation’s Supported Housing Providers Forum and sat on their National Care and Support Advisory Group.

Since 2016, Chris has been a board member of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network. He chairs their NHS mental health and housing sub-group and is also a member of the NHS mental health economic collaborative committee. He became a board member at housing and care provider, GreenSquare Accord in 2022. In February 2023 he joined the board of VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group).

Nicole Huston
Housing Retrofit Project Manager, Tees Valley Combined Authority

Chris Harris
Associate Director of Housing, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Chris is the Associate Director Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust with responsibility to implement the Sussex Mental Health and Housing Strategy. He took this role following over 10 years in health and housing roles including Adur & Worthing Council Single Homelessness Coordinator, West Sussex Mental Health and Housing Coordinator, and Senior Mental Health Commissioner. He brings a strong track record of initiating projects and multiagency collaboration and passion to see better services – especially across the housing/health divide. Chris's recent work focuses on embedding housing expertise into NHS services and developing supported housing services for people with adult mental health services.

Kate Henderson
Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

Kate Henderson 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.

Katie Hipkiss
Research Lead, National Housing Federation

Maureen Hopcroft
Board Member, saha

Maureen brings 30 years technology expertise gained across the private, public and third sectors. She is now an independent technology consultant and has delivered outcomes for several housing associations, ranging from some of the largest organisations to more specialist providers. Maureen is currently chair of a specialist London housing association and is on the NHF’s Board member national group. She was appointed to the saha Group Board in May 2019.

Zack Hodge
Commercial head of design/ Photobook, Housemark

With over two decades of experience in the software and UX design industry, Zack has established himself as a visionary and passionate leader. Working with some of the world's largest blue-chip companies, including BAE Systems, IBM, EON, and BP, his leadership has delivered ground breaking product innovation. Zack has a passion for bridging the gap between technology and user experience. Placing the customer at the centre of product design, with his blend of technical expertise and commercial acumen he has successfully taken products to market that address the challenges customers are facing. Through the creation and development of Photobook, Housemark’s digital inspection application, he has worked with the community of customers to enable landlords to save time, reduce costs and ensure compliance. With his expertise in design and deep understanding of user behaviour, he continues to transform the Photobook application into a tool that supports customers to tackle the complex operating environment and needs of the housing sector. With his unrivalled energy, passion and understanding of user needs coupled with his exceptional leadership skills, he is making a difference to the housing sector, the communities that landlords work in and the lives of residents.

Alison Inman
Board Member, Saffron Housing Trust

Alison Inman is a board member at Saffron Housing Trust. She was CIH President 2017/18 and is a former chair of Colchester Borough Homes, the National Federation of ALMOs and Broadland Housing Association.

Kathryn Irons
Senior Consultant, Procurement for Housing

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

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

Stephen Johnson
Tenant Advisory Panel Member

Sophie Konradsen
Lead Commissioner, London Borough of Lambeth

Steven McIntyre
Chief Executive, Stonewall Housing

Rhys Moore
Executive Director of Public Impact, National Housing Federation

Rhys started with the NHF in October 2018, as Executive Director of Public Impact. Rhys oversees our policy, external affairs and communications work. Previously he was Director of the Living Wage Foundation where he worked with government, business and civil society to build a national movement of responsible employers. Before that, he helped to establish the London Community Foundation, which supports grassroots community groups in the capital. Rhys is a board member of the Carers Trust.

Aasia Nisar
Head of Resident and Community Engagement, Red Kite Community Housing

Aasia is an experienced housing professional with over 20 years’ experience in the housing sector but her real niche is resident involvement, community development and engagement. She is committed to ensuring residents voices are heard, making a real difference as to how services are delivered. Previous Aasia worked for Sovereign and has worked on several European Social Funded projects, as well as writing major funding applications for the National Lottery. She has a PhD in Sociology and Social policy.

Clare Norton
Chief Executive, Peter Bedford Housing Association

Cathy Page
Deputy Director – Housing with Care and Support, Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

Cathy Page is currently a Deputy Director in DLUHC with responsibility for Supported Housing, Domestic Abuse and Home Adaptations (Disabled Facilities Grant) and the Older Peoples Housing Task Force. She has worked on housing with care and support for 7 years.

Prior to this she had a range of roles in DCMS, including Head of Operations for Broadband Delivery UK, Head of Domestic and European Tourism, and Head of Community Sport and Olympic Legacy.

She started her career in HMRC, in operational customs and excise roles.

Josie Parsons
CEO, Local Space

Josie came to Local Space as Finance Director in June 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 October 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.

Sarah Pierman
Chief Executive, Dynamic Boards

Sarah is Non-Executive Director of Home Instead and Mutual Vision, Entrepreneur and Founder of Dynamic Boards.

Sarah began her career meeting and evaluating over 250 mid-market businesses to assess whether RBS, and latterly Praesidian Capital, should invest. Since 2015, she has worked in tech start-ups, both as a consultant, adviser, and founder. Alongside this, she has worked as a Non-Executive Director on the board of a specialist bank, a home care franchise business, and a banking software provider. Sarah launched DynamicBoards.co.uk in 2020 to shake up the NED advertising market and make it easy (and free!) for people to find and apply for NED roles. She is on a mission to make UK boards the most dynamic in the world.

Emma Richman
Director of Operations, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust

Emma is an award winning housing professional with a career in housing that spans over 27 years, she is currently the Director of Operations at Peaks and Plains Housing Trust and is also an Independent Non Exec at First Choice Homes Oldham. Emma is a qualified Architect and Building Surveyor and is currently a Trustee of the Pankhurst Centre in Manchester.

Emma is a previous Chair of the North West Branch of Women in Property and has been on their committee for the last 10 years. She also won Woman of the Year at the 2018 Woman in Housing Awards.

Emma Robinson-Hodges
Head of Business Development, National Housing Federation

Emma has worked for the Federation for over eight years and is currently the Head of Business Development. She and her team work to develop products and services for housing association members offering them additional value and benefit.

With a background in strategic commercial partnership development, Emma held previous commercial fundraising and project management roles within the charity sector.

Merron Simpson
Chief Executive, The Health Creation Alliance

Merron is a national and local advisor on people, places, health, housing, systems change. She has extensive senior-level experience often across professional domains. A former Head of Policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing, Merron has worked with local authorities, primary care networks, housing associations, Kings Fund, NHS England, NHS Property Services, Royal College of General Practitioners, Health Foundation, National Housing Federation, Local Government Association, Royal Town Planning Institute and others. She started her career clinical diagnostics R&D after studying biochemistry before changing direction, embarking on a Masters in Housing Studies. Merron’s passion is to bring congruence between policies, services and the reality of people’s and communities’ lives. She blends her influencing and thought leadership capabilities, cross-sector knowledge, experience working in complex environments and deep interest in people to shift power and drive tangible change.

Shahron Shah
Chief Executive, Waltham Forest Housing Association

Shahron is Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Housing Association, a role she has held for nearly three years. Shahron has worked in the fields of social and supported housing for more than 20 years. She has extensive experience of leadership, maximising the value of diversity, delivering growth through greater impact and of driving improvement and innovation in governance. Shahron has recently completed a review of the governance arrangements at WFHA , including those related to tenant involvement and scrutiny.

Ben Shimshon
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Thinks Insight & Strategy

Ben is a leading insight practitioner, conducting research and providing strategic advice to high-level clients. He specialises in providing clients with policy, positioning, campaign and communication advice rooted in our qualitative and quantitative insight. Ben appears regularly in the media, commenting on public opinion and political sentiment, and he writes frequently for a range of newspapers, magazines and websites. Ben has contributed to a number of insight and research conferences for, among others, the MRS, AQA and AURA. Prior to founding Thinks Insight & Strategy, Ben was a Director of Brand Democracy, and held a number of roles in and around UK politics and think tanks. He is a trustee of The UK Friends of The Abraham Initiatives, and served on the Commission on the Future of Council Housing in Southwark.

Paul Smith
Chief Executive, Elim Housing

Paul Smith is Chief Executive of Elim Housing association, prior to this he was Cabinet member for Housing at Bristol City Council and has previously work for Placeshapers, NHF, Aster Group and Heart of England Housing Group. In the environmental sector Paul was Chief Executive of the national Reuse Network. Paul has views on climate change and mitigations based upon his degree in Astrophysics and scientific outlook.

Elim Housing owns and manages 900 homes in the South West, West Midlands and Wales and provides general needs housing, supported housing for people who have experienced homelessness and sites for members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. Elim is participating in wave one of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Anne Taylor
Chief Executive, Thorngate Churcher Trust

Linda Wallace
Chief Executive, PHA Homes

Linda leads a small community based housing association in Hampshire. She has worked in housing for 40 years, in large and small organisations and in the public and private sector. She has a background in asset management, customer service, development and co-operative housing. Linda's passion is for work that empowers people - residents, employees and the wider community - to make the most of their talents and opportunities. She has been a member of several housing association Boards, an Exec member of G320 and sits on her local Community Land Trust Steering Group.

Tom Warder
Community Led Housing Manager and Deputy CEO, Action in Rural Sussex

Rory Weal
Strategic Policy Lead – Rural Homelessness, Rural England

Elizabeth Webster
Tenant Board Member, Arawak Walton Housing Association

Elizabeth Webster became a Tenant Board Member of Arawak Walton Housing Association in Manchester in 2020. The organisation is a small, independent BME Housing Association which made it a real draw for Elizabeth. It allows her to engage with a host of different projects within local BME communities as well as offering lived experiences when deciding on strategic direction for the organisation. As a tenant, Elizabeth offers excellent insight into what customers expect form a housing association landlord and can offer direction and oversight on how to most effectively support their tenants.

With 19 years’ experience of working in film, television, theatre and live music events, Elizabeth has a myriad of experience working with different sections of the community in a professional capacity.

Elizabeth is particularly proud of Arawak Walton’s commitment to tackle all types of homeless linked to the communities it serves. Having been homeless in the past, Elizabeth holds these strategies close to her heart and can support their development at Board level.

Alongside Board duties Elizabeth regularly attends the Tenants’ Quality Panel meetings as well as Renumeration and Appointments Committee meetings. She has assisted with updates of the Association’s Customer Service Charter and has also had input to the Together with Tenants Charter.

She is based in the North West though her work has taken her to locations nationwide. Elizabeth has lived in Manchester for 12 years and been a tenant of Arawak Walton for the last two years.

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.

Evelyn Williams
Policy Officer, National Housing Federation

Evelyn is a housing professional, social researcher and part-time housing lecturer. Her current role at the NHF is Policy Officer working on different policy areas such as Welfare, the White Paper and Together with Tenants.

Over the last 10 years , Evelyn has gained housing experience through academic and non-academic routes.

Suzannah Young
Policy Officer, National Housing Federation