Who’s Who
Who works for GreenSquareAccord, who sits on its board, and who helped shape the organisations that came before it?
Explore current employees, board members and people who have left. Select a profile to read about their role and find links to our reporting.
Research checked 28 October 2026 · 37 profiles
An independent residents’ guide, separate from GreenSquareAccord. A diagonal line across a portrait means the person has left the employment or board role shown. Dates refer to the named role unless stated otherwise.
37 profiles
Current employees
Current · Executive and board
Ruth Cooke
Chief Executive Officer · Board member
GSA: April 2021–present; previously GreenSquare
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Led GreenSquare before becoming chief executive of the merged organisation. Her earlier chief executive roles included Midland Heart and Clarion Housing Group; she also has a senior finance background.
In our reporting
- Troubled Mergers & Why They Should Trouble Us All
- The latest corporate strategy from GreenSquareAccord
Current · Executive and board
Mona Shah
Deputy CEO and Chief Finance & Investment Officer · Board member
Finance role from 17 June 2025; board from 1 May 2026
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Previously chief financial officer at Grand Union Housing Group. Her responsibilities at GSA cover financial reporting, financial strategy and advice to the organisation.
The start date of the Deputy CEO title has not been confirmed.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current employee
Gary Hardy
Chief Customer Officer
From 1 April 2025, initially interim
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Leads customer-facing directorates including Homes and Communities, Care and Support, Quality and Compliance, and Transformation. His earlier housing career included Birmingham City Council and Midland Heart.
The date the appointment became permanent has not been confirmed.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current employee
Sophie Atkinson
Executive Director of Governance
From 12 July 2021
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A solicitor and chartered company secretary whose remit includes governance, risk, assurance, health and safety, and data protection. Previously worked at Catalyst Housing, Sanctuary Group and the Homes and Communities Agency.
In our reporting
Current employee
Billy Sutch
Chief Property Officer
2026–present; published start dates differ
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Previously Executive Director of Residential Services at university accommodation provider UPP, covering operations, property management and safety.
The appointment announcement planned a late-May start; the 2026 accounts record 20 April. Both sources are linked.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board members
Ruth Cooke and Mona Shah also sit on the board; their profiles appear in Current employees above.
Current board member
Colin Dennis
Board Chair
From 26 March 2024
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Succeeded Robin Bailey as chair. His background includes financial services and board roles in housing and health, including nine years chairing Citizen.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
John Creswell
Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director
Board member from 1 March 2023
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Has experience in housing, regeneration and board oversight. Previous board roles include Whitefriars Housing Group, West Mercia Homes and Citizen.
The date he became Deputy Chair has not been confirmed.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Gillian Durden
Board member
From 11 October 2023
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A housing professional whose career included housing management, maintenance and planned investment. Her experience covers property improvements, safety compliance and energy retrofit projects.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Ashling Fox
Board member
From 1 March 2026
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Her career includes executive leadership at Peabody and Bromford, and customer service roles at RAC, the AA and HomeServe. Her work has included organisational change and regulatory compliance.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Chris Hampson
Board member · Member Responsible for Complaints
From 1 July 2022
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A housing and social care executive with a background at Look Ahead. GSA identifies him as chair of its Operations Committee and the board member responsible for complaints.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Craig Jones
Board member
From 11 October 2023
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A finance professional with experience in housing, care, higher education and professional services. His previous roles include finance and corporate services director positions at two Midlands housing and care providers.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Manny Lewis
Board member
From 25 March 2025
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His background includes public sector leadership, organisational development and regeneration. Previous roles include leading Watford Borough Council and the London Development Agency.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Phillip Lyons
Board member · Investment Committee Chair
From 1 June 2022
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A construction and development professional who trained as a quantity surveyor. His career includes senior roles at Taylor Wimpey and Countryside.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Gail Teasdale
Board member
From 25 March 2026
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An accountant with a senior housing career, including chief executive at Broadacres and finance and corporate services leadership at Accent Group.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Current board member
Martin Tiplady OBE
Board member
From 25 March 2025
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An HR and management specialist with previous leadership roles at the Metropolitan Police, Berkeley Group and Housing Corporation, and board experience at Midland Heart.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employees
Former employee
Rachel Crownshaw
Executive Director of Operations
GSA executive from April 2021; moved to Places for People in April 2023
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Previously led customer experience at GreenSquare. At GSA her remit included housing management, customer services, repairs and business change. Her professional biography confirms the move to Places for People.
Her GSA role was initially titled Executive Director of Customer and Transformation. The exact final working date is not confirmed.
In our reporting
Former employee
Julianne Britton
Director of Customer Services
Documented as director in 2021–2023; departure date unconfirmed
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GSA identified her as Director of Customer Services in 2023. Earlier residents’ correspondence records her customer service responsibilities. Housing Sector’s later reporting states that she no longer works for GSA.
Former status is based on the linked Housing Sector report; an official departure announcement has not been located.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
- Silencing the Voice of the Customer
- The curse of the missing data
- Does Housing Have an Awards Problem?
Former employee
Steve Hayes
Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications
April 2022–June 2026 (self-reported)
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Held GSA’s corporate affairs and communications director role. He features in residents’ reporting and Housing Sector’s coverage of The Trials of Mrs Tranter.
Dates are from his professional profile; LinkedIn may require sign-in.
In our reporting
Former employee
Andrew Rossiter
Director of Repairs and Maintenance
Appointment announced October 2022; departure date unconfirmed
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Joined the organisation in 2017 in estates management and later became director following a secondment. The linked residents’ finance article reports his subsequent departure.
Former status is based on the residents’ reporting. An exact departure date has not been verified.
In our reporting
Former employee
Jo Makinson
Chief Finance Officer · Former board member
10 January 2022–27 December 2024
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Joined from St Monica Trust, where she had worked in finance and transformation. GSA announced her departure to take up a chief investment officer role at Abri in January 2025.
In our reporting
Former employee
Maxine Espley
Chief Operating Officer
COO: February 2023–31 March 2025
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Moved from GSA to become Hightown’s chief executive in April 2025. The dates shown cover her COO role, rather than her entire career with Accord and GSA.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
Former employee
Ken Youngman
Interim Chief Finance Officer
27 December 2024–24 June 2025
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Held the interim finance role between Jo Makinson and Mona Shah.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employee
Helen Pennack
Executive Director of Corporate Services
Left 30 April 2026; start date unconfirmed
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The latest accounts record her departure following the year end.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employee
Jason Holder
Interim Chief Property Officer
1 April–28 October 2025
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Provided interim property leadership before the subsequent appointments of Peter Evans and Billy Sutch.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employee
Peter Evans
Interim Chief Property Officer
17 November 2025–20 April 2026
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Served between the interim tenure of Jason Holder and the permanent appointment of Billy Sutch.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employee
Dr Chris Handy
Chief Executive, Accord Housing Group
Retired in 2021; exact appointment date unconfirmed
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Led Accord before the merger. The Confederation of Co-operative Housing marked his retirement with an account of his longstanding support for housing co-operatives and community-led housing.
In our reporting
Former employee
Howard Toplis
Chief Executive, GreenSquare
Left February 2019; exact appointment date unconfirmed
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Led GreenSquare before Ruth Cooke and later became chief executive of Tai Calon Community Housing. His Tai Calon role is documented in its 2020–21 annual report.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
Former employee
Stuart Fisher
Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive · Former board member
Left GSA on 30 July 2021
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Held executive and board responsibilities at the newly merged organisation. His departure is recorded in GSA’s 2021 accounts.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former employee
Sara Woodall
Executive Director of Communities
Left GSA on 30 July 2021
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Served in the executive team at the time of the merger. The 2021 accounts confirm her name, role and departure date.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board members
Former board member
Robin Bailey
Board Chair; previously GreenSquare chair
GSA chair: 1 November 2021–26 March 2024
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Initially Deputy Chair of the merged organisation, then succeeded Elisabeth Buggins as chair. His GreenSquare board service began in May 2017.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
Former board member
Elisabeth Buggins CBE
Board Chair
Chair at merger; left 31 October 2021
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Chaired the merged organisation before Robin Bailey took over. The accounts record her departure as both chair and member.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
David Greenhalgh
Board member
GSA board from April 2021; left 29 January 2025
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Served on the merged organisation’s board. The 2025 accounts record his resignation.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
Mandy Clarke
Board member · Former Deputy Chair
GSA board from April 2021; left 27 July 2023
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Served as Deputy Chair before stepping down. The annual accounts document her board membership and resignation.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
Salma Reehana
Board member · Former Care & Support Committee Chair
Board member at merger; left 4 September 2023
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Previously chaired the Care & Support Committee. Her departure is recorded in the 2024 accounts.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
Sharon Thompson
Board member
1 March–20 October 2023
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Her appointment biography describes a background in housing management, community development and local government. She joined alongside John Creswell.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
Pablo Andres
Board member
GSA board from April 2021; left 25 March 2026
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Completed his board term in 2026.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
Former board member
Susan Goldsmith
Board member
GSA board from April 2021; left 27 April 2026
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Completed her board term in 2026.
Portrait not yet verified; initials shown.
In our reporting
No specific story link verified for this edition.
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