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Key People

The CHS Group Board and Executive team is made up of experienced individuals with extensive knowledge of the different elements of housing provision, management and social enterprise.

Our Board is drawn from the local community and is supported by five key committees: Operations; Audit & Risk; New Business & Development; Governance; and HR & Remuneration Committee. There are two further groups that strengthen our commitment to draw upon our tenants’ skills and experience – the Customer Committee, which sets its own agenda and makes recommendations on service policies and standards, and a tenant-led Scrutiny Panel which has the remit to review any part of our operation and make improvement recommendations to the main Board.

 

CHS is required to meet the relevant standards published and regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. CHS’s Board is responsible for meeting the standards and being transparent and accountable for the delivery of our social housing objectives.

Regulator of Social Housing

Regulatory Standards

All Board members sign our Board Code of Conduct, available below.

Martin Wheatley – Chair of the Board

Martin joined the CHS Board in October 2022 and became Chair of the Board in November 2022. Martin Wheatley is a specialist in governance, research and advice in the fields of housing, planning, social policy, public service management and the environment. He has over 20 years’ experience at national and local level where he has focussed particularly on strong internal leadership skills and developing sector partnerships and coalitions.

Martin has 6 years’ experience on the Board of another housing association where he chaired their Business Effectiveness and People Committee.  He also chairs the Croydon Independent Housing Improvement Board which provides advice and independent assurance to Croydon Council on improving their housing service. He grew up in Cambridge and has recently moved back to the area.

 

Stephen Hills – Chief Executive

Stephen was appointed Chief Executive in January 2023 after becoming acting Chief Executive in December 2022.  Stephen joined CHS as Operations Director in July 2018 and is an experienced housing professional, most recently as Director of Housing at South Cambridgeshire District Council. He has also been a housing consultant and a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam and Middlesex Universities.

 

 

Heidi Allen Board Member

Heidi joined the Board in September 2021.   Formerly the Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire, Heidi is also a Trustee of the charity Feeding Britain and a policy committee member for the Child Poverty Action Group.

She brings a range of expertise to CHS and with her strong local and national networks, is a valuable asset in supporting the organisation’s mission to provide affordable housing and community support services across Cambridgeshire.

 

 

Nick Brown – Board Member

Nick was appointed to the Board in 2016 and has previously chaired the Development and Asset Management Committee from 2017 until 2022. Originally from Cambridge, Nick runs a family-owned local property management, investment and development company having previously gained experience in a number of roles within the financial services industry.

 

 

Alex Colyer FCCA – Chair of Audit & Risk Committee

Alex was appointed to the Board in 2019 and chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

He retired from his position as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council and has held senior positions at a number of Local Authorities.  He brings a wealth of experience in financial management and business efficiency.

 

 

 

Phil David – Chair of HR, Remuneration and Governance Committee

Phil was appointed to the Board in 2018 and is chair of the HR, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

He is a solicitor and spent the majority of his career at ARM Holdings Plc, a British multinational semiconductor and software design company, latterly as General Counsel.

 

 

 

Gareth Hillier – Chair of Customer and Home Committee

Gareth joined the Board in September 2019 and is Chair of the Customer and Home Committee. He is the Head of Digital Technology, Performance, Business Improvement and Modernisation at Herts County Council, Hertfordshire.

Gareth is an experienced manager in the public and third sector with a passion for health and social care, housing and service accessibility and inclusivity having extensive vocational experience in transformational programme and contract management, business development, performance management, operational management and compliance.

 

 

 

Phin Hodson – Board Member

Phin joined the Board in September 2018.  Phin is a civil servant with particular interests in policy, strategy, and digital transformation.

With a background as a consultant and data scientist he has advised a number of governments globally on education policy and practice and is an expert advisor to a think tank on health policy.

 

 

 

Cara Jackson – Board Member

Cara was appointed to the Board in November 2023.  Cara currently works at Accent Housing as Head of Leasehold and Homeownership, she has significant experience within the social housing sector having also held senior roles at other local providers.

Cara’s particular expertise lies in sales, leasehold management, service charges, and income recovery.

 

 

Tim Jennings – Board Member

Tim joined the Board in July 2022 and sits on the Audit & Risk Committee.  He has over 35 years’ experience across both the private and social housing sectors. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, Tim spent around 25 years in the private sector, primarily with Capita Plc, as Finance Director for businesses in property design and consultancy, maintenance and property management.

Tim joined Aldwyck Housing Group in 2015 as Executive Director of Finance, and subsequently CEO prior to the merger with Catalyst, whereupon Tim became the Executive Director of Finance for Catalyst. Tim is also a Board member at Ability Housing and Community Housing.

Anita Mobberley- Board Member

Anita was appointed to the Board in November 2023. Anita is a solicitor and Chartered Company Secretary and has worked in the housing sector since 2004. In her current role she is Head of Governance and Regulation at Platform Group and prior to that, worked for a large national housing association and care operator.

Anita has worked across multiple functions and has held senior roles in Legal, Policy, Governance and Company Secretarial. She has Board experience having previously been on the Board of a Midland’s based Citizens Advice Bureau.

 

 

Jacquie Taylor – Board Member

Jacquie Taylor was appointed to the Board in September 2022 and sits on the Customer and Home Committee and the HR, Remuneration and Governance Committee.  Much of Jacquie’s working life has focused on people, firstly working as an administrator then Manager of an Adult Education department at a local Village College, then as Eastern Regional Operations Manager for the Worker’s Educational Association.  She is passionate about empowering people to be the very best they can be and has seen, first hand, how rewarding that can be.

Jacquie has been a CHS volunteer since 2017, as a member of Scrutiny Panel, Complaints Panel and Chair of the Tenant Committee. Working with the Board to ensure that all tenants have the chance to live and thrive in a safe and comfortable home is a high priority for Jacquie.

 

Kathy Batey – Director of Corporate Services

Kathy is an experienced HR professional that has worked for CHS for 7 years and was appointed Director of Corporate Services in September 2023.

Kathy has over 25 years’ experience of working in HR in local government and also has experience of leading other services such as facilities management, asset management, emergency planning and corporate health and safety.

 

 

Jonathan Birkert – Director of Finance

Jonathan was appointed Director of Finance in September 2023 after joining CHS in November 2021 as Head of Management Accounts & Service Charges.

Jonathan is an experienced housing finance professional with over 19 years of experience working most recently at Cross Keys Homes.  Jonathan has also worked in local government and the police and college sectors.

 

 

Andrew Church – Director of Communities

Andrew was appointed Director of Communities in September 2023.  Andrew joined CHS in 1996 and previously held the position of Head of Community Investment and Community Support Services. 

 Andrew has over 25 years experience of working in the social housing sector in Cambridgeshire, and is well connected to the community and voluntary organisations within the county.  He previously worked for the New Economics Foundation and United Nations Association. 

 

Helen Tonks

Helen Tonks – Director of Customers

Helen has worked at CHS for 31 years and is an experienced housing professional.  Prior to joining CHS, Helen worked in housing and homelessness in the West Midlands and Cambridgeshire.

In addition to responsibility for CHS’s housing management and customer service, Helen leads on customer engagement and is the organisational lead on domestic abuse.

 

 

Tina Warren – Director of Homes

Tina was appointed the Director of Homes in September 2023.  Prior to joining CHS, in December 2022, Tina worked for a number of local authorities and registered social landlords, across Hertfordshire.

Tina’s experience of working in housing maintenance setting spans two decades and includes delivering large scale investment programmes, contract procurement and landlords’ health and safety compliance.

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