The Risk Management and Audit Committee

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The Risk Management and Audit Committee advise the board on financial risks.

Image of THG board member Roy Knowles

Roy Knowles

Chair of The Risk Management and Audit Committee

Roy is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor. From 2006 until 2019 he ran his own consultancy firm, Laurem Consulting. Prior to this he was a VAT partner in an international firm of Chartered Accountants and advised a number of the country’s largest housing associations. Roy is the chief editor and co-author of the publication VAT for Social Housing.

Roy is a Quality Assurance Manager for the Chartered Institute of Taxation. Prior to joining the Together Housing Group, Roy spent 9 years on the Board of St Vincent’s Housing Association, initially as Chair of the Audit Committee and then as Chair of the Association.

Roy was formerly a local Councillor in Rossendale, where he was Chair of the Audit and Accounts Committee, Chair of Rosso Buses and a member of the East Lancs Railway Board.

Declarations of Interest

  • Quality Assurance Manager, CIOT
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Martin Gore

Martin is a highly experienced Finance Director, who retired in January 2015 as Director of Corporate Services at Humberside Probation Trust, to pursue a career as a non executive director, and expand his interests in creative writing.

Following the completion of a five year term as a Board Member of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust he currently holds non executive roles at two housing associations and a non-departmental public body.

Coventry born, his first job was as an Office Junior at Jaguar.  His career developed in the car industry, followed by a number of private sector manufacturing companies, largely SMEs.  This included a successful management buyout. More latterly he has worked in both charities and the public sector.

Martin is Chair of the Newground Together Board.

Declarations of Interest

  • Trustee, Hull Churches Housing Association
  • Member, Ongo Homes Audit Committee
  • Member, UK Anti Doping Audit Committee
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Chantal Forrest

Chair of Remuneration and Governance Committee

​Chantal is an accomplished corporate solicitor, US attorney and governance professional.  She was a non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee of a FTSE listed software developer and has held a number of director, trustee and executive leadership roles including as the Group Company Secretary with Yorkshire Water/Kelda Group and the General Counsel and Company Secretary with Electricity North West.  She has extensive experience across a range of functions including corporate governance, legal, pensions, insurance, property management, data protection and regulation.

Chantal was a governor of Greenhead College, Huddersfield for seven years and chaired the Health & Safety Committee.

She is committed to delivering great customer service and safe, comfortable homes for all our residents.

Declarations of Interest

  • Private landlord
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Paul Redfern

A Certified and Chartered Internal Auditor and Director of Finance with over 30 years’ experience, specialising in the design and delivery of first class governance solutions to organisations in the private and public sectors, nationally and internationally.

A proven track record of aligning governance processes and providing deeper and broader assurance to key stakeholders, offering sound professional experience in areas of audit, fraud and risk management.

Declarations of Interest

  • Audit Committee Advisor, Electoral Commission
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Jon Craven

Jon has been a resident of Calderdale for over 20 years, during which time he has worked for a number of financial services organisations, including HBOS, KPMG and Benenden Health.  He specialises in personal lines insurance, has operated at board level for the past 15 years, and has been dual-regulated by the PRA and FCA.  He holds several non-executive director roles in West Yorkshire, as well as a range of voluntary governance roles in the third sector.

Declarations of Interest:

  • Vice Chair, Halifax Opportunities Trust;
  • Non-Executive Director, Sovereign Healthcare;
  • Chair of Finance Committee, Halifax Minster;
  • Volunteer, Halifax Refugee Centre.
  • Trustee/Director, Halifax 900 Trust
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Tom Mackrory

Tom is Governance Manager for a Registered Social Housing Provider of c.6,000 homes in South Manchester. He is also Chair of Governors at a state maintained primary school in South Manchester and has volunteered at a community primary school in Central Manchester, supporting their work to achieve accreditation as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School.

Declarations of Interest:

  • Chair of Governors, Didsbury Road Primary School
Head and shoulders photo of Angela Gibbs

Laura Rawnsley

Laura’s background is in IT in Business Change, primarily in the Local Public Sector. Laura was Head of IT at Kirklees Council where she gained experience within a large complex IT environment of delivering transformation aligned to the business vision, alongside managing significant risks. Laura remains active in the IT profession as an Examiner in Business Analysis for BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT.

Laura’s earlier career was in Social Housing and Welfare Rights, working within both the public and voluntary sectors. Laura is a former Independent Board member of Berneslai Homes. She also has experience as a non-executive director within the commercial, social care and community arts sectors.

Declarations of Interest

  • Director, Wilf Ward Family Trust
  • Director, Halifax Choral Society
  • Director, Kirklees Theatre Trust
  • Director, Magdale
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Shazad Sarwar

Shazad was appointed to the Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in 2018. He is currently Lay Member of Cumbria & Lancashire Magistrates Advisory Committee and Managing Director at a niche consultancy that works with private and public sector.

He is a former Non-Executive and Deputy Chair of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust where he led on patient safety and quality and post Care Quality Commission inspection. He is also former Non-Executive Director of East Lancashire Hospital Trust and Former Independent Member of Lancashire Police Authority; in the latter he led on strategic planning and performance.

Declarations of Interest:

  • Director, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
  • Independent Member, Joseph Rowntree Foundation & Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust
  • Lay Member, Cumbria & Lancashire Lord Chancellors Advisory Committee
  • Director, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
  • Director, Msingi Research Ltd