Our Board
On 12th September 2011 each of the organisations
in Somer Housing Group (Redland, Shape and Somer Community Housing
Trust) joined together with one Combined Board. The Combined
Board's members are listed below:
Roger Thomas
(Chair)
Roger Thomas, until his retirement this year, occupied various
management roles within HSBC. As an experienced board chair,
director and manager with a business, property and banking
background he brings considerable financial and investment
experience and has specialised in business development, turnaround
and restructuring at board level in both private and charity
sectors.
He has proven skills in stakeholder and community engagement
demonstrated through his work as a director of an international
charity, through which he spoke in Westminster on how to improve
the links between Government, the NHS and charities. He was
involved in the community regeneration, town planning and the
redevelopment of Cardiff city centre where, as part of a team, he
was responsible for obtaining EEC grants and raising finance for
major infrastructure improvements.
As Vice Chair of Social Services he served as the South
Glamorgan representative on the NHS where he gained invaluable
knowledge of the operation and financing of social housing,
residential homes and the monitoring of the private sector.
He is also Chair of Valleys to Coast Housing where he led the
Board on the first Large-Scale Voluntary Transfer in Wales.
Dermot Courtier
(Vice Chair)
Dermot Courtier is Head of Group Pensions for
Kingfisher plc which he joined in September 2007. He also supports
and acts as Secretary of the UK Kingfisher Pension Scheme. Prior to
joining Kingfisher, Dermot was the Director of UK Client Delivery
for Towers Perrin Administration Solutions (TPAS) which he joined
in April 2003. Between 1994 to 2003, he was the Group Pensions
Strategy Director of the Royal Mail Group plc pension plans. Prior
to this, Dermot held a number of senior human resources
executive/director positions across both the retail food, fashion
and distribution sectors.
Dermot is a past member of the CBI Pension
Working Group. He is also a past Chairman of the Advisory Council
of the Money Purchase Forum and a advisory council member of the
Occupational Pensions Defence Union. Dermot read Economics at the
University of Bath and did an MBA at the University of Bradford
Management Centre. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development (Chartered FCIPD) and a
Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (FIH). His interests include
most sports, particularly rugby union, and he is a former Honorary
Secretary of his local club – Keynsham RFC Ltd.
Brian Tapp
(Chair of Audit and Assurance Committee)
Brian Tapp, whilst now retired, has been
involved in social housing for almost 20 years, 15 of these serving
as Finance Director firstly for Sarsen Housing Association in
Devizes, then for Progress Housing Group based in Leyland,
Lancashire. He has a wealth of experience and expertise, in
management and the housing sector. His skills and experience
include the negotiation of large contracts and funding deals,
developing and maintaining clean, strong financial positions for
his organisations and creating innovative development
opportunities.
Beatrice Pounder
(Chair of Governance and Remuneration Committee)
Beatrice Pounder has worked with a number of
disadvantaged and under-represented groups and communities and has
a strong interest in advocacy, championship and empowerment. This
inspired her to train to teach. She has also trained through a
Student Ambassador Scheme and Aim Higher Programme to work with
young people in outreach programmes which encourage and support
ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged and under-represented
groups in Higher education, including people with disabilities.
Paula Haines
(Diversity Champion)
Paula Haines works for the Environment Agency
as Head of Business Management providing planning, performance and
programme management across corporate services. Prior to this she
led a major IT outsourcing project and before this was Head of
Reward at the Environment Agency. She is a Fellow of the Institute
of People Management with 20 years' experience in human resources
management. Paula is an experienced negotiator and has significant
skills in influencing senior management and government. She has
specialised in mergers and change management and played a
significant role in the setting up of the Environment Agency which
brought together 87 different bodies. She leads the Environment
Agency’s Women’s network and has a strong interest in improving
diversity within organisations.
Cllr Rob Appleyard
(Bath & North East Somerset Council nominee)
Cllr Rob Appleyard is a local authority nominee, representing
Westfield on both unitary and town councils. Rob spent 20 years
within the retail trade before moving into telecommunications,
first as a network ICT specialist and finally within the business
improvement arena. He spent many years as a representative on the
area committee of the Communication Workers Union and since
retiring early he is completing a foundation degree course in
housing management and neighbourhoods. Rob is also a member of the
Chartered Institute of Housing.
He strongly believes in the values of community and supports a
variety of interests, as well as being an active governor at two
local primary schools.
Janet Durk
Janet Durk is a tenant board member. Janet
spent some of her working life in care work and most of it in
business, retiring as a manager in the leisure industry. She has
been an active tenant for eight years and a board member of the
Group Audit Committee for four years. She has been a Tenant
Representative for Timsbury on the Norton Radstock and Villages
Area Panel, served as Secretary for two years and Vice Chair for
two years, and has chaired the Somer Residents’ Committee (SRC).
Janet believes very strongly in resident involvement at every level
and particularly likes to encourage younger people to be more
active in a positive way.
Martin Nurse
Martin Nurse is Chief Executive of Sentinel
Housing Association, a leading developing and regeneration
association in the South East with 8000 homes in management and
1250 under development. He has over 30 years' experience of social
housing and brings extensive understanding of development,
governance, financial issues and customer service awareness. Prior
to Sentinel, he was CEO of Three Rivers Housing in the North East
and Thames Valley Housing for many years. Martin is Vice-Chair of
the NHF South East Committee, NHF Regulation Panel, a Steering
Group Member of the Placeshapers Group and a Board Member of the
Basingstoke Local Strategic Partnership.
Brian Patch
Brian Patch is a Tenant Board Member. Prior to
taking early retirement he was a senior manager for Westland
Helicopters and represented the company at meetings around the
world having worked his way through the organisation where he
started as a draughtsman 22 years earlier. He was also a founder
trustee of The Helicopter Museum. Since becoming a tenant he has
been keen to get involved and is a member on the Rent Review Panel,
New Homes Improvement Group and Existing Homes Improvement
Group.
Stan Rodliffe
Stan Rodliffe is retired from the electricity
supply industry where he developed a broad range of general
management skills including business re-engineering, redesign of
business processes and IT systems. His knowledge of housing has
been gained on the Board of South Western Housing Society and Teign
Housing where he is a current non-executive director and charity
trustee. In addition he is a volunteer business mentor for The
Prince’s Trust, school governor and engaged in a variety of other
activities in his local community.
Paul Sinclair
Paul Sinclair has worked in business
psychology and talent management for 20 years in both the private
and the not-for-profit sector, including housing associations. He
has strong knowledge of sales, marketing, communications and public
relations and proven in-depth knowledge of organisational change
and people/leadership issues. Through his extensive work in the
commercial sector he brings many good practices and ideas prevalent
in successful businesses.
Stewart Sowerby
Stewart Sowerby is a Tenant Board
Member. Through his work in lean process management he brings
extensive knowledge of efficient ways of working, and adding value
to the work environment. Together with a strong project management
and financial planning background. He also contributes strong
communication and interpersonal skills. Before becoming a Board
Member he spent two years on the Somer Residents' Committee
(SRC). He believes very strongly in the value of social
housing to the community and the positive effect it can have on
people's lives.
Claire Lerpiniere
Claire Lerpiniere has been a resident for over
20 years, from Wansdyke, to B&NES through to the Trust. Claire
has witnessed the changing face of social housing and has been
highly involved as a resident.
Over the years Claire has experienced, living
in a pre-fab building, the process of moving, contractors, major
works, day to day repairs and resident involvement. Claire believes
that the social housing cohort is under represented and that
addressing this will be beneficial to all.
|
|