Boards, committees and executive team
Our management structure is designed to formulate and implement strategic objectives and corporate governance.
The Executive Team is responsible for formulating and implementing strategic objectives and corporate governance.
The Board is responsible for overall strategy and policy making and for making sure we continue to be a significant provider of social housing.
Board and committee members bring a wealth of experience and different skills to the organisation, providing a clear overview which helps to focus management on achieving strategic milestones.
The Committees are:
- Audit & Risk Committee
- Finance Committee
- Remuneration & Nominations Committee
- Development and Investment Committee
- Housing & Communities Committee
Summary of Chair, Chief Executive and Senior Independent Director responsibilites:
Chair
The role of the Chair is essential in the effective running of the Board. The Chair provides overall leadership to the Group, in close cooperation with the Chief Executive, with an aim to maximise the contribution of Board Members, enabling them to fulfil their responsibilities for the overall governance and strategic direction of the Group.
The Chair is responsible for ensuring there is an agreed strategy that determines the Group’s objectives and maintaining relationships with key external stakeholders, including funders and Regulators. The Chair must uphold the highest standards of integrity and probity, and safeguard the reputation of the Group.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive (CE) reports directly to the Chair and is responsible driving the strategy of the Group, ensuring that the objectives are achieved, and performance reported to the Board. The CE is responsible for setting the tone of the business, ensuring the desired culture is embedded throughout the workforce.
The CE leads the Executive Management Team (EMT) in the day to day running of the business, including implementing the Board’s decisions. The CE leads EMT in ensuring the Group’s policies and procedures are adhered to and that the Group’s risks are monitored and managed within the Board’s approved risk appetite.
Senior Independent Director
The role Senior Independent Director (SID) is to add value to the business of the Group by acting as a sounding board for the Chair and to be available to Board Members in cases of conflict. The SID acts as a conduit for other Board Members to raise concerns which have not been resolved through normal channels regarding the Chair, Chief Executive or other Members.
The SID leads a meeting with other Board Members, without the Chair present, to appraise the Chair’s performance, taking into account the views of the Executive Management Team.
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Southern Housing Group Board
Arthur Merchant (Chair) is a former partner and Head of Housing for Grant Thornton UK PLC. He specialised in the provision of external and internal audit, business planning, governance and risk management services to the housing sector for over 20 years. His client portfolio also included the local authority, NHS and Education sectors. He is a qualified accountant [CIPFA] serving as a member of their housing association panel for over 10 years. Arthur is an experienced non executive Director having served on the Boards of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Mind and three other large housing providers. His experience includes Chairing Audit and Treasury Committees and being part of the non executive working group/Committee successfully achieving substantial renegotiation of loan covenants and refinancing at two housing associations. He has been a regular speaker at major housing events and conferences. 
Daisy Armstrong is a resident board member with life-long experience of living in social housing and past history of, as two of her great-grandfathers were housed in ‘Homes for Heroes’ in West London. As a qualified teacher, she specialised in IT, design and technology. Her non-executive experience includes 7 years in school governance before being Chair of Governors for 8 years. Daisy's lived experience includes the barriers of being disabled and she is the Board's disability champion. As a member of the Housing and Community Committee, Daisy will be the residents’ advocate. 
Phil Blume has, for many years, been the Administrator and fundraiser for a charity that operates in the cultural heritage sector. Here, he works with volunteers to develop a historic building as a heritage centre and museum and organises projects to conserve collections, gather and disseminate historical records and present events and exhibitions. He also collaborates with university researchers to explore ways of telling stories using immersive technologies. 
Robert Clark is a qualified member of RICS since 1974, Robert Clark retired as CEO of Durkan Ltd in 2016. As Managing Director and CEO, he was responsible for the management of all Construction Projects, Business Planning and HR management.
His board & committee experience has included Joint-Venture Companies, Housing Associations, Construction Skills Training, The Housing Forum and The Hertfordshire Housing Conference.
Janet Collier is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and a CIPFA accountant with over 30 years public sector experience. She has worked at a number of local authorities in both housing and corporate finance, and was previously Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance at City West Homes. She has also worked as a consultant providing financial consultancy and training for public sector organisations, especially on social housing finance and Value for Money. She is now an experienced non executive having been a Board member and Chair of Audit Committee at another housing association, and is currently also a Board member and Chair of Audit and Risk at Advance Housing and Support. 
Abi Gray is the Chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee, having served on the committee for 2 years. Abi has 10 years customer services experience, specialising in building customer centric cultures by empowering employees to deliver excellent customer service. Abi is a qualified coach, counsellor and a specialist in employee engagement.
Abi joined the Board in September 2019 and was previously also a member of the Customer Services Committee.
Joanna Hawkes
Jo has over 30 years’ experience in the private sector having worked with a number of blue chip companies in differing sectors in corporate finance and treasury roles. This has included asset finance roles within Hilton International and as treasurer of rolling stock lessor Angel Trains. For the last three and half years she has been Group Treasurer of Marks and Spencer plc with responsibilities for the global treasury, pensions investments , captive insurance, M&S Bank and partnering business services. She is a fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and a qualified accountant. She is also Chair of the Finsatra DB pension scheme.
David Lewis joined the Group in September 2019 and has over 25 years asset management, regeneration and procurement experience in local government, ALMO’s and housing associations. David has held both NED and director positions for G15 housing associations and currently runs his own consultancy providing asset management and property services support to the housing sector. David is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and RICS.
Carol Rosati OBE has over 25 years experience of talent management and workforce development, focusing on diversity and Inclusion. She is currently Lead Equality Diversity and Inclusion specialist at the Met Office. She is also a qualified executive coach and runs her coaching business v2 Coaching. Carol joined Southern in 2014 and chaired the Remuneration and Nominations Committee from 2016 to 2019 before being appointed as our Senior Independent Director. Carol is also Chair of Spruce Homes. She is also Vice Chair of UN Women UK and Chairs the Nominations Committee. In 2020 she also joined the Board of Alliance Homes based in Somerset, and she was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2015 Birthday New Honours List for Services to Women in Business.
Alan Townshend has over 32 years of experience in the affordable housing sector, working with both public and private companies and running his own consultancy firm. Alan became chief executive in September 2018, having previously been Group Development Director for three years. Prior to joining the Group, Alan worked at Wandle Housing, initially joining as its Asset Investment Director before being appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer and overseeing the operational and strategic side of the business. His other roles include seven years at Circle Group as Group Regional Operations Director. Alan is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Ian Wilson is currently Joint Head of Residential Fund Management at Knight Frank IM. Previously he worked at CBREIM and was instrumental in launching the CBRE UK Affordable Housing Fund in 2018. Ian has worked in real estate fund management since 2006 undertaking a variety of asset management, fund management and development roles. Prior to this he worked as both a residential and commercial property valuer.
Ian has worked in the real estate industry for over 20 years and has been a Member of the RICS since 2000.
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Executive team
Alan Townshend | Group Chief Executive
Alan has over 33 years of experience in the affordable housing sector, working with both public and private companies and running his own consultancy firm. Alan became chief executive in September 2018, having previously been Group Development Director for three years. Prior to joining the Group, Alan worked at Wandle Housing, initially joining as its Asset Investment Director before being appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer and overseeing the operational and strategic side of the business. His other roles include seven years at Circle Group as Group Regional Operations Director.
Alan is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Kerry Kyriacou | Group Director Development & Assets
Kerry joined the Group from Optivo in January 2022 where he had held the role of Director of Development and Sales since 2018 and prior to that held senior development and sales positions at Metropolitan, Clarion and Hyde.
Outside of focusing on sales and development, Kerry has also played a central role in the G15s BAME mentoring network and is also a qualified architect.
Yvette Carter FCCA | Group Director Property Services
Yvette joined the Group in 2019 having previously worked at Mears Group plc. She has many years’ senior strategic and commercial experience across a range of sectors including outsourced service industries, logistics and mobile technology.
Tracey Gray | Group Director Customer Services
Tracey joined the Group in June 2021, taking control of one of the largest teams in the business who provide all housing management, contact centre, customer experience, and care and support services to customers. Tracey has worked in the housing sector for nearly 20 years and as an Executive for the past 10 years, joining the Group from Paradigm Housing.
Amanda Holgate FCCA | Chief Financial Officer
Amanda has worked in the housing sector for seven years, first as Deputy Finance Director at Family Mosaic and then as Director, Finance Services at Peabody. She joined the Group in 2019. Prior to entering the housing sector she gained more than 20 years’ financial and commercial experience in a range of sectors including financial services, technology and retail asset management.
Jenny Poore FCIPD | Group Director People & Communications
Jenny has had an extensive career spanning all aspects of Human Resources and communications including senior national HR and communications roles at Royal Mail and executive appointments within the Further Education sector and at Sussex Police. Jenny joined the Group as HR Director in 2015 and was appointed to the Executive Team in 2021.
Jason Wickens | Chief Information Officer
Jason joined the Group in 2018 and leads the IT, Data, Digital and Business Change functions. He has more than 20 years’ experience across a range of sectors including financial services, retail, consulting and not-for-profit. Jason has previously held multiple senior technology and business transformation roles and is qualified in a variety of disciplines including Six Sigma, Lean, and Agile.
