Our team

Kath joined the Board in 2017 and became Chair in 2022. 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 accountancy to the Foresters Friendly Society in Sheffield and Chairs panels for hearings when patients are sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

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 recently completed work with a local charity on a large project providing housing for vulnerable people. She is also Chair of a local Citizens Advice.

Sami joined the board in September 2023.  

He is an accredited Senior Project Manager with over 12 years’ expertise leading various business transformation programmes and managing high profile projects across a variety of sectors. 

He is a registered MSP, Lean Six Sigma and PRINCE2 Practitioner and with his background of Banking and Financial Management has an excellent knowledge of managing complex budgets. 

He also has Trustee positions across other companies in the Private and Public sectors as well as a Magistrate.  

He enjoys a variety of sports, from Kickboxing, Tennis, badminton player as well as going to the gym.

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 The University of Nottingham.

He now runs his own consultancy business as well as being a Non-Executive Director at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (where he is Vice Chair and also chairs Audit Committee) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn NHS Foundation Trust (where he is Chair), together with being a Non-Executive Director with Mission Room Limited, a company that specialises in immersive solutions for industry and education.

John joined the Board in 2023.  He brings over 35 years of senior management experience at Chief Executive level, and in high value fundraising activity in the social housing, community investment, and education and training sectors.

For the past decade, John was instrumental in securing complex multi-million pound contracts for the community investment arm of Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association, where he served as Head of Fundraising and Business Development for 12 years until 2022.

Prior to that, through his own management consultancy he established in 2006, John has been delivering business strategy planning, fundraising, and business development advice and training to private sector businesses and a number of social housing providers, including Affinity Sutton (now Clarion Housing Group), Notting Hill Genesis, Tyne Housing and YMCA Housing.

From 2003 to 2005, John was the Chief Executive of London’s largest Enterprise Agency providing business advice, training, and capacity building support to SMEs across the capital. 

Before that he held senior management and Chief Executive positions with community organisations delivering a range of vocational provision, including a college focusing solely on second language speakers. John is a qualified teacher and holds a B Ed (Hons) from the University of London.  

Through his consulting firm, he continues to serve a wide range of clients across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, and remains involved in the housing sector.

Ronan joined the Board in 2017. He is a senior property professional specialising in complex property initiatives, strategy development, sustainability, and leading change. He is Chief Executive for Crown Estate Scotland, a new public corporation focused on delivering investment in property, natural resources and people to create lasting value for Scotland. In addition, he holds the position of Trustee with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Housing.

His previous roles have included senior appointments at the University of Cambridge, Northern Ireland’s Strategic Investment Board (SIB), the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Circle Housing Group, amongst others.

He holds degrees in Business and Finance, Surveying and Environmental Sciences from the Queens University Belfast, the Open University Business School and London Southbank University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Paul joined the Acis Board in 2017 and has wide experience of working in the housing sector. Paul is currently Deputy Chief Executive/Finance Director at Magna Housing. He has direct responsibility for Finance, Legal, Governance and Risk. Previously he was Executive Director at Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), with strategic responsibility for finance, asset management and development, housing management and property and compliance.

Paul supports the Board at Magna and is the senior management lead for the audit and risk committee.

Paul is passionate about the housing sector, particularly development and the role that Housing Associations play in helping the country deal with the housing crisis while supporting many of the most vulnerable in our society.

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.

Bruce chairs our audit and risk committee and is a member of the operations committee.

Now semi-retired, Bruce remains committed to social housing and retains his membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing as a Fellow. He  is also a Trustee of a village charity.

Julie Haywood has spent most of her career within housing and community investment.

Most recently she was Director of Community Investment for Walsall Housing Group where she worked for 17 years, leading innovative customer focused services. People and communities really matter to her and she is passionate about the role that housing can play in promoting inclusivity.

Julie currently holds Non Executive roles for Adullam Homes, Concept Housing and Milton Keynes Housing company. 

Paul joined our Board in 2022. He is a qualified certified Accountant who has worked in the NHS for over 37 years in various roles.

Paul has over 15 years Board level experience as an Executive Director of Finance in large complex organisations. He has significant experience of public/private partnerships, acquisitions and mergers, joint ventures and he also has led on the setting up of a community interest company to support people back to work.

Before this Non- Executive role, Paul was a Non- Executive Director on the Board of Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group and chaired their Audit Committee. Paul is passionate about public services and believes that good Health, Education and Housing services support people to lead better lives.

Chris is one of the newest members of the board, joining in September 2022 as a Trainee Board Member.

He has over 22 years of experience in the fitness, leisure, and community sector, and has extensive background in coordinating community wellbeing programmes. By day, Chris works as a Regional Community Wellbeing Manager, engaging with private, public, and 3^rd sector stakeholders across 20 local authority areas in the East of England.

Working for his employer Everyone Active, which operates leisure facilities and community outreach programmes, invests significant time into his local community of Gainsborough, and the surrounding areas of West Lindsey. Chris, therefore, works with several local partners including the Acis Group to provide a range of activities such as wellbeing services, events, volunteering, training, and employment opportunities.

Chris has a L7 Diploma in Strategic Leadership & Management and is currently undertaking L8 Diploma in Strategic Directions. As part of this career progression Chris is a Member of CIMSPA and the Chartered Management Institute and has recently been awarded his Chartered Manager Status.”

He loves sports and plays golf, swims regularly and does plenty of walking for the upkeep of his own wellbeing.

Holly has been involved in Procurement and Contract Management for over 20 years in various public and third sector organisations. She is a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Holly has been in her current role, as Head of Strategic Procurement at the City of Doncaster Council, for 6 years where she is responsible for a portfolio of spend of approximately £300m per year. In addition to this she is responsible for procurement services at St Leger Homes of Doncaster Limited, an ALMO of the Council, who have a housing stock of approximately 20,000.

Prior to moving to the Council in 2017, Holly worked in the Housing Sector for 10 years for a Registered Provider in North Lincolnshire called Ongo, where her remit included procurement and value for money. In addition to general procurement at Ongo, Holly was involved with tenant engagement, developing more efficient operations and ensuring best value for rents paid.

Holly started her career, after graduating from university in 2002, in the NHS, working for the two Trusts in Doncaster in various roles relating to purchasing and supplies.

In her roles Holly has been involved with significant changes and events in the public sector such as major changes in legislation, Covid-19, austerity, flooding and more recently the closure of the Doncaster & Sheffield Airport (DSA).

Holly is passionate about public services through delivering better contracting, developing more efficient ways of working through redesigns in process and operations, developing staff, and social value.