The Operations Committee

Together Housing Group
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The Operations Committee deals with operational functions from a strategic level.

Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Angela Gibbs

Chair of The Operations Committee

Angela spent over 30 years working for large corporations manufacturing well-known brands including Quaker Oats, Gillette, Travelex and McVities. Working her way up to Factory Manager, she has extensive experience in business transformation and delivering exemplary customer service in challenging industries. As well as being responsible for a multi-million pound budget, she gained much experience in Health & Safety, people management and working with trade unions.

She is Chair of the Operations Committee and has also been on the Newground CIC Board.

A dedicated and committed professional, Angela is keen that all tenants and residents have a voice that is heard and believes that a safe, affordable home in your area of choice is a fundamental right for all in the twenty-first century.

Declarations of Interest

  • Director, Thawley Brothers (New) Ltd
  • Training to become a magistrate in North and West Cumbria
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Neil Townsend

Until recently Neil worked as the Chief Executive of a Cancer Charity working across Lancashire & Cumbria and prior to this worked in the housing sector with a career spanning 25 years.  His experience has led to a broad understanding of Housing, Health and Community services and the endless list of challenges that exist.  Neil is a Non-Executive Director of Progress Housing Group based in Leyland, Lancashire. 

Declarations of Interest:

  • Non-Executive Director, Progress Housing Group;
  • Vice Chair, Dukes Theatre, Lancaster;
  • Trustee, Key Unlocking Futures;
  • Member, Chartered Institute of Housing
Photo of Ahmed Makda

Ahmed Makda

Ahmed is a passionate technologist having had a keen interest in computers since a young age, which led him to pursue a university education in IT. He went onto build, and continues to pursue, a career in the IT and Digital sector. He has worked for national and international blue chip companies including Carphone Warehouse, IBM, DXC, Vodafone, Arqiva and UK Central Government, and has worked on key national projects such as NHS patient systems and the national Smart Meter programme. Ahmed’s vision is that the effective use of technology should drive good user outcomes without compromising ethical standards.
He has done a great deal of work speaking out and raising awareness about racism. His work in this area has seen him nominated and shortlisted in the final three in the diversity category of the National Civil Service Awards.

He passionately believes in customer value – that if the customer is looked after, all else of a business’s success falls into place – and hopes to make a positive difference in this area for Together Housing.

Declarations of Interest:

  • None
Photo of Natalie Daniels

Dave Procter

Board Chair

Dave joined the Together Housing Group Board in 2016 and became Chair in January 2017.

He has worked in housing for over 55 years, retiring as Chief Executive of Pennine Housing in 2005.

Since then Dave has worked as an independent consultant with a wide range of housing and third sector organisations within governance, executive mentoring and organisational change.

Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Michelle Allott

Executive Director of Operations

Michelle has responsibility for the strategic direction of:

  • Neighbourhoods
  • Place Shaping
  • Income Management
  • Customer Services
  • Lettings
  • Supported Housing
  • Pendleton Together.
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Jaswinder Mander

Jaswinder is married with two grown up children Kiran and Joel, both of whom have followed their father into the IT industry. Jaswinder has worked for Asda for the last 30 years in various management roles and is currently the senior director of applications engineering, ensuring that Asda engineers innovative and exciting new applications and services for their customers. He looks forward to understanding and working in the social housing sector to bring about improvements to our operations and tenants.

Declarations of Interest

  • Joint Owner, Children’s Nursery and Playcentre
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Elaine Sharkey

Elaine has worked in housing since 1990, spending most of this time in supported housing working with vulnerable groups and people who are homeless.

Working as Director of Operations she led the asset management, HR, service delivery and business development departments, specialising in incident and risk management, health and safety and business continuity planning. Elaine’s passions are people, wellbeing and communities.

Declarations of Interest:

  • None
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

George Paterson

Executive Director of Property
 
George is responsible for:
  • stock condition
  • delivery of maintenance services
  • investment planning
  • facilities management
  • sustainability
  • new homes development
  • partnering and contract procurement.
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Rob Grigorjevs

Rob is educated to MSc Level and his background is in local government with specific emphasis on social housing and strategic partnerships. He spent 15 years in various roles with Oldham MBC and Twin Valley Homes in Blackburn. These included management, large scale capital improvements, performance monitoring and the development of choice based letting schemes. He lead and developed the highly successful ‘Oldham Instant Homes’ initiative and the ‘B-with-us’ choice based lettings scheme which is still going strong in Pennine Lancashire after nearly 15 years.

He worked for a couple of years in the private sector as a Business Development Manager in a fast growing SME and has spent the last 10 years in various roles at Pendle and Hyndburn Councils.

He is now Project Manager, Local Government Reorganisation for Cumbria County Council. Rob was previously a Board Member of Green Vale Homes.

Declarations of Interest

  • Housing Development Officer, Eden District Council
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Kevin Brady

Kevin has held senior positions across local, regional and central government including spells with the Department for Education and Skills, Government Office for the North West and as Deputy Chief Executive, Salford City Council.  He has worked as an independent consultant across the public and private sectors.

Kevin has extensive board level experience across the public, private, not for profit and higher education sectors and which included chairing a large charity.

Kevin is currently the Chair of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, an independent member of Yorkshire Housing Audit and Risk Committee and independent member of Transport for the North Audit and Governance Committee.