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Our Board
The role of the Board includes the definition of and compliance with the values, vision, mission and strategic objectives of the company. Our Board is tasked with ensuring the appropriate governance is in place, setting a positive culture with a strong customer focus and establishing an approach to risk that safeguards the assets and reputation of the organisation and the wider sector. Membership of our Board is made up of nine members who bring a wealth of professional and life experience to ensure the collective skills and experience reflects the need of an efficent social housing provider. The Board ensures we deliver on our aims, objectives and intended outcomes for customers in an effective, transparent and accountable manner. They share our passion to help provide better services to all the people we support.
Specifically, our Board ensures:
• Adherence to all relevant legislation
• Compliance with governance and regulatory requirements
• Accountability to customers, the Homes and Communities Agency, the Charities Commission and other stakeholders
• Taxpayers' interests and the reputation of the housing sector are safeguarded
• Effective systems of internal control
• Performance is scrutinised
Our Board Members have knowledge, experience and skills in the areas of strategic leadership and management, the housing sector, asset management, financial and investment expertise, business management along with extensive commercial acumen and entrepreneurship. We encourage our own customers to take an active role in overseeing our performance and driving change within the organisation.
Meet our Board
Ronan OHara
Michael Kay photo
Ronan O'Hara
Ronan joined the Board in 2017. A senior property professional specialising in complex initiatives, strategy development and leading change, he currently works as a Stategic Adviser at SIB Ltd, focusing on asset optimisation.
Ronan’s career has included senior roles with the Building Research Establishment (BRE), American Express Plc, GVA LLP, W.S. Atkins Plc, Savills Plc, English Heritage and Circle Housing Group.
He holds degrees in Business and Finance, Building Surveying and Environmental Sciences from the Queens University Belfast, the Open University Business School and London Southbank University and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Michael Kay
Michael joined the Board in September 2014 and brings a wealth of housing, property and governance experience and expertise with him.
His current role is that of Chief Executive with Northampton Partnership Homes, having previously been Executive Director of Property for the Thirteen Group and Lead Director of Housing Hartlepool – one of the subsidiary companies within the Thirteen Group, now the largest housing provider across the North East.
Michael’s career has also seen a number of other major achievements including Chief Executive of Yarlington Housing Group (formerly South Somerset Homes), and with English Churches Housing Group.
Michael has wide ranging experience in organisation restructures, asset management, regeneration, business strategy and planning and delivering new-build developments.
Graham Ward photo
Nigel Whitaker photo
Graham Ward
Graham is a Chartered Accountant with wide consultancy experience and joined the Board in 2013.
During his career he has held senior positions with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Consulting and from 2004 until 2013 he was Commercial Director at The University of Nottingham. Graham has served as a Non-Executive Director with Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust and Nottingham City Primary Care NHS Trust.
He now runs his own consultancy business as well as being a Lay Member with the Nottingham City Care Commissioning Group, where he is Deputy Chair and Governance Lead, and a Non-Executive Director with Eminate Limited, a company that specialises in the development of new food ingredients products.
Nigel Whitaker
Nigel joined the Board via co-option in July 2016 and brings extensive commercial experience in the fields of procurement, project management and process improvement to the Board, strengthening the organisation’s commercial knowledge and focus.
He has worked at Director level positions in the private sector and extensive experience within the public sector. He is experienced in setting and delivering strategies within complex international organisations and has managed real estate portfolios, construction projects and facilities management contracts. His previous roles have included Regional Director with Bombardier Transportation and Director level roles with a major international group in the defence, aerospace and technology industry.
Nigel holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Paul Satchwell photo
Kathryn Smart photo
Paul Satchwell
Paul joined the Acis Board in 2017 and has wide experience of working in the housing sector, most recently focusing on asset management, development, tax and funding. He currently holds the role of Finance Director at Orbit Group.
He also sits on the senior management team and board of Orbit Homes (2020) Ltd, the group’s development company, and is also lead director on a department transformation program.
He is an ACA Chartered Accountant and previously worked in auditing, lastly as a manager in Grant Thornton, leading him to work in a range of sectors before leaving the profession to embark on a career in housing.
Kathryn Smart
Kathryn joined the Board in 2017. She is a qualified accountant with a background in governance, risk management and audit. Kath currently works as a Non-Executive Director in the NHS and is an independent member of the Local Authority Audit Committee. She also provides governance and to the Foresters Friendly Society in Sheffield and Chairs panels for Hearings when patients are sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Bruce Kerr Photo
Carole Hodson photo
Bruce Kerr
Bruce joined the board in 2017 with over 35 years experience of working in social housing. His career has spanned consultancy and senior management roles for a wide variety of social landlords ranging from small BAME associations to L&Q, one of the largest in the UK. Over that period he has managed departments responsible for housing management, supported housing, development, asset management and repairs services as well as managing a stock transfer association which encompassed all those functions.
Now semi-retired Bruce remains committed to social housing and retains his membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing as a Fellow. He also serves on the board of the Cross Keys Homes.
Carole Hodson
Carole joined the Board in September 2018 and brings extensive experience of working in the social housing sector. She spent her early career working in the homelessness service of a London borough, followed by working in housing management in the Midlands. Carole then worked as an Executive Director for large housing organisations, focussing on customer and corporate services.
Carole now runs a consultancy business and is currently working with a local charity on a large project providing housing for vulnerable people. She is also Chair of a Citizens Advice Bureau.
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meet our team link text
Find out more about our team by reviewing our executive leadership team here.