Kelsey Walker
Director, Housing Consultancy, Savills

Kelsey is a director in Savills affordable housing consultancy team. She leads the strategic governance range of consultancy, including in depth assessment readiness; governance, risk and board effectiveness reviews; regulatory recovery and lessons learned; consumer standards reviews; partnership and merger support.

Kelsey joined Savills in September 2018 and has an in depth knowledge of the expectations of good governance. In her nine years at the Regulator of Social Housing, Kelsey was part of the senior leadership group and led a team working with large and complex housing providers assessing their performance against the economic standards. Kelsey helped develop the regulatory approach including in-depth assessments.

Prior to joining the Regulator, Kelsey was Business Assurance Director for a London-based housing association.

Syma Dawson
Director of Governance and Assurance, Incommunities

Syma is the Director of Governance and Assurance at Incommunities Ltd and is responsible for Governance, Risk and Assurance, Data Protection, Health and Safety, and Legal Services. An experienced Chartered Secretary who has worked in governance and assurance for over 10 years across a range of organisations including The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, her career has been predominantly in the health sector until she moved across into housing just over a year ago.

Matthew Bailes
Group Chief Executive, Paradigm Housing

Matthew Bailes became Chief Executive of Paradigm Housing Group in 2015. Paradigm is based in Buckinghamshire and owns over 13,500 homes, offering a wide range of tenures. Before then, he was Executive Director of Regulation at the HCA and the Tenant Services Authority where he oversaw the introduction of the new Regulatory Framework and major improvements in the Regulator’s capacity and operational approach. Prior to this, Matthew was Head of the Affordable Housing Division in the Communities and Local Government Department following a career in the civil service which included roles in corporate finance, policy on the Fire and Rescue Service, regional government, regeneration, and a spell in the Ministry of Defence.

Tabitha Kassem
Head of Governance, Heylo Housing

Deirdre LaBassiere
Head of Governance and Company Secretary, Parasol Homes

Deirdre LaBassiere, an esteemed governance specialist and organisational leader, boasts a 20-year legacy in legal and regulatory realms. With expertise honed in advising, training and supporting entities in governance principles, particularly in the housing, NHS and charity sectors, she’s a trusted authority in data protection, compliance, risk management and assurance. Formerly Company Secretary at Bournville Village Trust, she now consults for organisations like Local Space, Magna and Parasol Homes. Notable roles include Governance & Assurance Manager at Housing 21, conducting a Governance Review related to the Post Office Scandal and curating the Birmingham Race Impact Group’s (BRIG) Housing & Race Summit in 2023.

Beyond the profession, she chairs Women Acting In Today’s Society (WAITS), Legacy Centre of Excellence and Common Purpose West Midlands, advancing women’s empowerment and inclusive leadership. She serves on boards like BRIG and the Lunar Society, where having been the first black woman to chair the organisation, she curates the Sir Adrian Cadbury Lecture.

Rose Klemperer
Partner, Bevan Brittan

Rose primarily advises registered providers of social housing (RPs), community-led housing providers and third sector organisations on a wide range of corporate, governance and regulatory matters.

Her work ranges from incorporation of RPs through to mergers (including transfer of engagements and amalgamations) and corporate re-structures. As well as supporting clients with their day-to-day governance and company secretarial needs, she also provides regulatory and legal compliance training and guidance to both boards and executive teams on a variety of topics. Rose’s work includes advising on strategic governance arrangements, the set-up of diversified structures, project management, charity law, general company law, co-operative and community benefit society law and advice around governance best practice.

Rose is the Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at The Pioneer Group. She is also a co-founder and board member of Women in Social Housing Midlands (WISH Midlands), a membership-based organisation which organises professional and personal development events for people in all parts of the social housing sector.

Nicola Ebdon
Assistant Director of Governance and Regulation, Lincolnshire Housing Partnership

Nicola Ebdon has over 20 years’ experience of working as a qualified senior corporate governance professional in charity, regulatory, professional body and trade union services within the housing, health, communications and financial sectors. Her experience spans compliance, equality, diversity and inclusion, strategy development, corporate planning, risk management, project management and corporate performance management. She has also been a Data Protection Officer, with expertise in data protection for over 6 years.

Her approach has a focus on achieving the right outcomes and using effective behaviours to ensure good governance and she actively champions continuous improvement, and equality, diversity and inclusion. She joined the housing sector in 2021, with a remit over governance including board and committee support, regulatory assurance, legal and data protection.

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

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

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.

Kate Dodsworth
Chief of Regulatory Engagement, Regulator of Social Housing

Kate started her career in housing 30 years ago in homelessness, working with rough sleepers in Birmingham and later managing homeless hostels in Brighton.

After completing a Masters degree in Housing, she worked at the National Housing Federation for 10 years; latterly as Assistant Director covering London, the South East and East of England. She was Executive Director of People and Communications at Amicus Horizon and, post-merger, as Optivo. Kate was Chief Executive of Gateway Housing Association for three years until starting as Director of Consumer Regulation at the Regulator for Social Housing in July 2021. In 2023, she was appointed Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH.

Kate was an external examiner for Westminster University until 2019 and a co-founder of the charity, Leadership2025, which aims to increase representation of black housing professionals in senior roles and address structural inequality.

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.

Jenny Osborne
CEO, Tpas

Jenny Osbourne is Chief Executive at Tpas – the tenant engagement experts - and has been in this role since 2014. Her previous role was Head of Corporate Services with specific responsibility for membership and governance matters.

She is an English Graduate from Leeds University. Prior to working for Tpas Jenny worked for the Post Office on their management programme in the branch network.

Jenny is also the Chair of Stockport Homes Group and is a board member of the National Federation of ALMO’s.

Jenny is passionate about the tenant engagement agenda and is a strong advocate for effective partnership working between tenants, providers, contractors and government.

Zoe Ollerearnshaw
Group Company Secretary, Hyde Housing

Zoe is Hyde’s Group Company Secretary, working closely with the Board and the rest of the Hyde Leadership Team. She’s a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and has 20 years’ experience in the social housing sector, having been responsible for providing company secretarial, governance and compliance services for a range of registered providers. Zoe was part of the consultation panel that shaped the NHF Code of Governance om 2020 and co-Chairs the NHF Governance Forum. She’s a qualified Risk Practitioner and acts as Hyde’s Data Protection Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer.

David Ball
Director of Finance, Vivid

Jo Allen
Head of Member Relations, National Housing Federation

Jo has worked at the NHF since 2015. Prior to joining the NHF, she worked in policy and public affairs roles in local government, the banking sector and the British Embassy in Madrid.

Paul Bayly
Head of Governance and Compliance, National Housing Federation

Paul is the Governance and Compliance Manager for the Federation. He looks after the Federation’s internal risk and assurance processes and is responsible for advising members on governance matters. Paul also assists organisations looking to adopt the Federation’s Model Rules for Registered Societies.

Sarah Finnegan
Head of Policy, National Housing Federation

Sarah has been at the NHF since 2017 as part of the member relations team, before becoming Head of Policy last year. She previously held different policy and strategy roles in local government in London.

Eileen Barr
Associate Solicitor, TC Young

Eileen Barr is an Associate Solicitor in TC Young’s Registered Social Landlord (RSL) team and has extensive experience advising RSLs in a wide range of matters. In particular, she assisted RSLs in their preparations prior to the implementation of FOI in Scotland and regularly advises on responding to information requests and other challenges surrounding their FOI duties. Eileen was commissioned by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations to prepare FOI template documents and guidance for their members, and frequently speaks at housing sector events on FOI.

Sarah Cameron
General Counsel and Company Secretary, Peabody

Sarah leads the Legal, Governance, Risk and Regulatory Compliance teams for the Peabody Group. She joined Peabody in 2014 as Director, Legal and Governance. Prior to joining Peabody, Sarah was Group Company Secretary of technology company, Smiths Group plc.

Sarah is a qualified solicitor, with considerable experience in commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, governance and business ethics.

Lenna Cumberbatch
Board Member, Rooftop Housing Group

Lenna’s work focuses on diversity and inclusion strategic change. Over 25yrs she has held operational and strategic roles such as Diversity manager, Trustee, Non-Executive Director, and Committee Chair at organisations including the University of Cambridge, the Royal Society, and the Wellcome Trust. Her current roles include organisations such as recruitment firm Goodman Masson, Rooftop Housing Association, the European Commission’s research executive agency, and the Grace Eyre Foundation which supports people with learning disabilities. She sits on the Ofcom Communications Consumer Panel and Advisory Committee for Older and Disabled People.

Lenna is committed to community and volunteers for organisations such as King’s Health Partners Haematology, Be the Business – small business advisors, and anti-bullying charity, Diversity Role Models. A member of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, Lenna is a Toastmaster’s Competent Communicator and Competent Leader. Her speaking engagements have included a keynote at the Portuguese Annual Science Communication Congress, BBC Scotland’s Black History month programme, and the Women of the World (WOW) festivals. She has a BA in English and women’s & gender studies. Her MBA dissertation subject was on revalidation, the appraisal system for doctors in the UK.

Arturo Dell
Consultant, Azeus Convene

Syma Dawson
Director of Governance and Assurance, Incommunities

Syma is the Director of Governance and Assurance at Incommunities Ltd and is responsible for Governance, Risk and Assurance, Data Protection, Health and Safety, and Legal Services. An experienced Chartered Secretary who has worked in governance and assurance for over 10 years across a range of organisations including The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, her career has been predominantly in the health sector until she moved across into housing just over a year ago.

Ryan Dempsey
Chief Executive Officer, TCW

Catherine Little
Director, Campbell Tickell

Maxine Loftus
Regulation Director, Housing Consultancy, Savills

Maxine is an accomplished housing professional with over 30 years’ experience in the social housing sector both within housing providers and at the regulator of social housing where she was the Director of Regulatory Operations. She has extensive experience in governance, risk and regulation backed by a solid foundation in housing management.

Ramesh Malhan
Head of Customer Voice, Black Country Housing Group

Lisa Maunder
Head of Governance and Assurance, LiveWest

Tristan Potkins
Regional Specification Manager, Aico

Tristan is the Regional Specification Manager at market-leading Aico in North London working with councils, housing authorities and private landlords to achieve compliant Home Life Safety. Tristan has been with Aico for nearly a year, previously working for Vent-Axia covering the whole of the North side of the Thames. A large part of my role is training the installers, students & specifiers on our Expert Installer course as well as supporting on site, having previously been doing toolbox talks and damp & mould surveys in my previous employment. Tristan came through the Edmundsons Graduate Programme whilst living in Hertfordshire working to become an external salesman & was part of a start-up company offering IT & pharmacovigilance services to the pharmaceutical industry, understanding the compliance necessary when working in this field. He is currently most excited about Aico’s expansion into the IoT market and take a keen interest in any advancements in technology in the industry.

James Prestwich
Director of Policy and External Affairs, Chartered Institute of Housing

Having gained significant first-hand experience in housing management through operational roles with housing associations, James moved to DCLG where he was a senior advisor working on housing policy. He joined the NHF from DCLG in 2016 as Head of Policy and has led on negotiations with Government on a new rent settlement for the sector and the implementation of the Midlands Voluntary Right to Buy pilot. James is a Board Member at Hundred Houses Society in Cambridge.

Lucy Rickson
Head of Governance, Plymouth Community Homes

Lucy Rickson is Head of Governance at Plymouth Community Homes and has over 20 years’ experience of housing association governance and regulation. Lucy has worked at several housing associations in the south west and has been integral to the transfer of council homes to new housing associations. Lucy also co-chairs the NHF Governance Forum.

Hetal Ruparelia
Partner, Devonshires

Hetal advises on various aspects of Property Litigation and Housing Management including breach of lease issues, adverse possession, boundary disputes, lease variations, regeneration advice and service charge disputes. Hetal also provides non-contentious advice on housing and policy issues. Hetal is also head of our Information Team. She has particular expertise in advising clients on compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Hetal is a specialist in the area and her experience covers all aspects of information law and privacy including the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, breach of privacy and breach of confidentiality.

Hetal advices on data breaches, making representations to the ICO and enforcement action from the ICO. She has assisted clients with large scale, complex data sharing arrangements which have included the processing of data overseas. She is particularly versed in supporting clients with complicated and high volume subject access requests. She also regularly provides training to clients on their obligations under data protection legislation.

Syka Sheikh
Director of Governance, Risk and Assurance, Yorkshire Housing

Christopher Simpson
Dispute Resolution Manager, Ombudsman

Catherine Slater
Company Secretary & Head of Governance, Legal and Compliance, Trent and Dove Housing

Sarah Smith
Chief Financial Officer, Southern Housing

Sarah has worked with and in the housing association sector since 1988. She is a Chartered Accountant beginning her career with BDO before specialising in social housing and moving to KPMG. Before joining Southern Housing Sarah spent eight years as Director of Financial Services at London & Quadrant Housing Trust. Sarah is a member of the NHF’s Finance & Policy Advisory Group. She sits on the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) social housing sub-committee. She has previously chaired the g15 Finance Directors’ Group and was Vice Chair of the NHF’s SORP Working Party. In her role as Chief Financial Officer of Southern Housing her responsibilities include internal audit, business risk and assurance, governance, financial services, procurement and pensions. She is a Trustee of Dolphin Square Charitable Trust and also a member of their Audit Committee. She is a Board member and Chair of Audit Committee at Reall, a charity investing in affordable housing in urban Africa and Asia. She was appointed to the Sustainability for Housing Board in 2021.

Guy Stenson
Chief Executive, Gloucester City Homes

Guy joined Gloucester City Homes as Chief Executive in March 2022 from Stonewater where he'd held a number of roles, most recently Director of Housing Operations. Guy’s career has spanned leadership roles in both the statutory and not-for-profit sector, often in roles working across the traditional boundaries of housing, health and social care and is passionate about the role housing associations can play working alongside citizens, partner agencies, as well the wider community, to improve quality of life, aspiration and opportunity for all, ensuring that everybody, regardless of their circumstances has a place where they feel safe and can be proud to call home.

Guy is currently a Board Member of both Orbit Housing Association and Newport City Homes, he is Chair of Audit & Risk Committee at Newport City Homes.

Joanne Tilley
Executive Director – Corporate Services, EMH Group

Jo has been at emh since 2004. A Chartered Member of the CIH, she started her career in housing management, and has also worked in research, strategy, information services, and care and support. As Executive Director Corporate Services, she now oversees governance, people, learning and development, health and safety, and communications services. Jo has an MBA from Birmingham Business School and is one of the three Co-Chairs of the NHF’s Governance Forum.

Ciaran Tully
External Affair Manager, National Housing Federation

Ciaran Tully is an External Affairs Manager at the National Housing Federation. He is the regional lead for North West and the member engagement lead for influencing.

Sophia Worringer
Deputy Policy Director, Centre for Social Justice

Sophia Worringer is the Deputy Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice, a cross-party think tank that works to improve the lives of those in the poorest and most disadvantaged communities across Britain. Prior to joining the CSJ, Sophia worked in the House of Lords, the House of Commons and The Family Hubs Network. At the CSJ, Sophia oversees the Housing and Communities Unit and recently authored a yearlong study looking at the state of poverty across the country, Two Nations. Sophia is a frequent commentator across a wide range of media channels.

Sam Wyatt
Dispute Resolution Manager, Ombudsman