Housing Moves: our round-up of senior sector appointments in July 2025

Grant Shipley, executive director of finance at Wandle, is retiring on 22 August. The hiring of his replacement is underway. 

Tom Cattermole has started in the new role of corporate director – residents and housing services (acting) at Brent Council. Mr Cattermole has been at Brent Council since 2014, most recently as director of resident services.

Sharon Thomas has started as chief investment and property officer at Thirteen. Ms Thomas joined the association in 2017, most recently holding the role of development and partnerships director.

WHG has announced Matt Ward as its director of development and regeneration. Previously Mr Ward was head of regeneration and growth at Plymouth City Council.

Bromsgrove District Housing Trust has appointed Lisa Martin as director of resources. She joins from Elim Housing, where she was group finance director for four years and then director of resources.

Tansy Crowley-Sweet has been appointed director of customer experience at GreenSquareAccord, beginning in September. Previously Ms Crowley-Sweet was assistant director of customer at WHG.

Onward Homes has made three new director appointments. Sandy Livingstone has been promoted to the newly created role of executive director of growth from his role as executive director of property; Andy Adderley has been promoted to executive director of asset compliance and repairs from his role as director of maintenance; and Pete Paton has joined the association as director of building safety from L&Q where he was head of strategic building safety.

Jo Fox has joined Ashford Borough Council as assistant director of housing. Ms Fox had spent 10 years at West Kent Housing Association, most recently as head of customer experience.

Andrew Warner has started in the newly created role of chief repairs officer at A2Dominion. Mr Warner was managing director at Shepherd’s Bush Housing Association, where he led the association’s merger with The Guinness Partnership.

Helen Evans will be taking over as chair of the board at Moat, succeeding Steve White who is stepping down after nine years. Ms Evans was previously deputy chief executive of Sovereign Network Group, and currently serves on the boards of Paradigm and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Riverside has announced three new board members: Maggie Porteous, Richard Petty and Angela Lockwood. Ms Porteous has become vice-chair of the group board and chair of the governance and remuneration committee, succeeding Sandy Murray who retired in April 2025. Ms Porteous spent more than 30 years at John Lewis Partnership, most recently as director of shop trade and chair of the John Lewis Foundation. Mr Petty is a chartered surveyor and head of UK residential valuation at JLL, and Ms Lockwood spent 15 years as chief executive of North Star Housing Group.

First Choice Homes Oldham has appointed three new board members: Ade Alao, Jackie Njoroge and Sarfaraz Akram. Ms Njoroge is chief strategy and data officer at the University of Salford; Mr Akram is a chartered accountant and chief operating officer at Lancashire Farm Dairies; and Mr Alao is head of capital improvement at HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Debbie Innes-Turnill has joined Two Rivers Housing as a non-executive director. Ms Innes-Turnill runs a safeguarding consultancy firm that provides specialist services to schools, charities, religious and sporting organisations.

Raven Housing Trust has announced the appointment of two new members to its board. Amina Graham has taken over as chair, succeeding Caroline Armitage who stepped down after over eight years of service. Ms Graham is chief executive of Whiteley Homes Trust. Justin Fanstone, previously digital transformation director at Google, has joined Raven’s board as a non-executive director.