Our Board
Our Board
Our Board has overall responsibility for approving our strategy at SettleParadigm, ensuring effective management of resources and risk, overseeing performance and achievement of objectives, and ensuring effective governance.
Matthew Bailes
CEO and Board member
Matthew has ultimate responsibility for delivering SettleParadigm’s objectives. This means ensuring the delivery of excellent services, high quality new and existing homes, and ensuring our residents live in neighbourhoods they can be proud of.
Matthew was Chief Executive of Paradigm from 2015 to the point of merger with Settle. Before this he led the Social Housing Regulator, and before that was responsible for policy on affordable housing in Government.
He is currently acting Chair of the Consortium of Associations in the South East (CASE) and has previously stepped in as a Non-Executive Director for other housing providers with serious problems.
Richard Moriarty
Chair
Richard is the CEO of the UK’s Financial Reporting Council and has spent 30 years in senior roles in the private and public sectors. Previously, he has been CEO of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and the Legal Services Board and, earlier in his career, he was an executive director with the Regulator of Social Housing.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
I passionately believe that good quality affordable housing makes a significant positive difference to people’s lives and their communities. SettleParadigm is my local housing association and I am keen to help it deliver on its ambitions for the communities close to where I call home.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
Hopefully my experience at Board level of governance, finance and driving customer service outcomes, gained across a number of different industries, can help SettleParadigm to provide fantastic services for our customers whilst enabling more people to benefit from affordable housing by building new homes.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
My personal direct lived experience of social housing has given me an appreciation for how, if we get it right, we can enhance our customers’ lives and their communities.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
The teamwork and strong collective sense of our social purpose for the customers and communities we serve.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
The planning system. There is a profound need for more affordable homes in the areas in which we operate.
Sally Veitch
Senior Independent Director
Sally is an established Non-Executive Director, being part of a number of boards including Non-Executive Director and Chair of Risk at H&T, Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee of Perenna Bank PLC, and Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit for Tipton & Coseley Building Society. A former Finance Director with strong customer-focused experience, including 15 years at Home Retail Group, Sally has over 20 years of experience in advising both small and large retail and financial services companies in fast-paced and regulated environments.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you will bring to SettleParadigm?
I am a non-executive director with a portfolio of boards that I sit on. I work across different businesses and sectors (retail, banking, pawnbroking!) and have dealt with a range of regulators.
Despite being a finance director by background, the key theme to everywhere that I have worked is the importance of the customer and making sure the board stay truly customer focussed.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
I have three boys who are all still at school and I have been a school governor at both their primary and secondary schools as I strongly believe in contributing to the community. My middle boy has significant learning difficulties and attends a SEND school. I have spent a long time fighting the system to get him the support he needs, and it has left me determined to do all I can in life to help people to get the help they need.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
The feeling that we are making a difference. I regularly go out on our ‘Big Door Knock’ and really enjoy chatting to residents and getting to know what matters to them.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
Our residents want a safe, decent home and for it to be easy to keep it that way. Repairs still take too long, and I’d like that to improve.
Amina Graham
Board member and Chair of Customer Experience Committee
Amina has over 30 years’ experience in housing associations and retail management. Executive Director of People and Systems at Housing 21 and a Board member at Network Homes, she is committed to delivering reliable, excellent customer service and driving improvement in the social housing sector.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
I believe that everyone should have access to a safe place they can call home. I’m naturally curious, driven to make things better and love working with talented people who share a common purpose to keep improving and moving forward. SettleParadigm is an ambitious, forward-looking, customer-focused housing association that’s driven by its purpose to provide homes and services its customers can rely on. The country needs innovative solutions given the scale of the housing crisis in the UK and the ongoing significant impact, particularly on social housing tenants, of the pandemic and – more recently – the cost-of-living crisis. Being part of an organisation that wants to push the boundaries and think differently about how best to do this is very exciting to me.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
I started my career at Marks & Spencer and for over 20 years, before my move into housing, I gained a wealth of experience in a number of senior positions. During the last 15 years, I have been at the forefront of innovation and improving operations at RHP, L&Q and now at Housing 21. I have a strong track record in successfully leading and delivering cultural change, harmonising people, processes, and technology to deliver more efficient operating models and better, faster, lower-cost services to customers. Under my leadership, RHP topped the Great Place to Work list, was top of the Dolphin innovation index in the sector for three years running, won a plethora of national awards for customer service and employee engagement, and was one of the first housing associations in the sector to achieve IIP Platinum.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
Being a Board member at Network Homes, where I sit on the Customer Services and Audit and Risk Committees, has helped me develop my skills as a non-executive, scrutinising and challenging performance and contributing to shaping the strategic direction, vision and values of the organisation.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
The people! The Board and Executive Team are super-talented and ambitious for SettleParadigm, really committed to making a meaningful difference for existing and new customers, and are open and receptive to new ideas. I love their shared ambition to want to do more, their intention to use their resources to help as many people as possible who are priced out of the housing market, and their relentless focus on delivering excellent services to every customer, every day.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
Giving residents as much choice, convenience and control in how they access and experience services is incredibly important to me. We know we can do more to keep customers informed and deliver quality services, resolving as much as possible at the first point of contact, so that customers don’t ever need to chase us for a response.
Andrew Foster
Board member
Andrew originally joined the Settle Board in September 2021. He has worked as a self-employed Governance Consultant since 2019. He has 20 years of Board-level experience as a Company Secretary/Solicitor, with experience of working in both the private and third sectors, and has 15 years of experience of working in the Housing sector. He has worked as both an executive and non-executive director.
A qualified lawyer by training, Andrew has had direct responsibility and leadership for a broad range of functions including Corporate Strategy, Business Planning, Legal, Governance and Company Secretarial, Risk and Audit, Procurement, Health and Safety, Insurance and Facilities Management.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
The opportunity to be part of an organisation with a strong commitment to social justice, to improve existing – and build new – social homes, and in so doing giving our residents a decent and stable place to live and call home.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you will bring to SettleParadigm?
As a lawyer, I’ve learned the importance of questioning and challenging in order to maximise the use of resources. But I’ve also learned the importance of listening and learning from both residents and staff, and showing appreciation for the good work our staff do in meeting the needs of residents.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
For some years now I have volunteered with a Foodbank and this has helped me to better understand the financial, work and personal challenges faced by some of our residents… and the positive impact we can have on their lives by providing a stable home and targeted support to them.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a Settle Board member so far?
I’ve enjoyed being a board member hugely and learned so much from the role so it’s hard to choose just one thing. But it’s probably the opportunity to knock on the doors of residents, meet them and hear about the practical things we can do to support them and make their lives just a little bit easier… and then see that these things are delivered.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents / potential residents?
I would like us to use our greater scale to generate additional financial resources to invest in new and existing homes and in improving our communities, and in so doing support more people to live in good quality and genuinely affordable homes.
Danny Sutcliffe
Board member
Danny began his housing career at the Housing Corporation during the 1988 Housing Act reforms. He went on to work for Housing Associations and contractors before founding Red Loft, which has since grown to a 50-strong team.
He has extensive experience with contractors, developers, housing associations, and local authorities, managing regeneration schemes and delivering projects of all scales. His expertise spans project management, team leadership, and change management.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
I am always keen to see good local organisations flourish. Having served on the board of Settle, and now SettleParadigm, I see this as a privilege, enabling me to give back to the sector that has given me such a worthwhile career. Settle’s core values are very close to those that I hold for my company and so align with how I want to do business. Settle talks about being proud to work in social housing which I always have been.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you will bring to SettleParadigm?
Having worked in affordable housing for over 30 years with the last 20 years as an affordable housing consultant I have a wealth of experience bringing to the board. I have extensive experience of working with executive teams and boards both with housing associations and local authorities. Having worked on complex large-scale projects I have worked with executive teams and boards to unlock difficult projects and assess the risk on these projects and weigh them against the potential rewards of more affordable homes, better neighbourhoods and increased social value for residents.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
Having been a board member for over seven years with Hackney Homes and Lambeth Homes as well as my consultancy work with housing association boards I fully understand the role a non-executive needs to play compared to the role of an executive. The role of non-executives is about empowering the executive to make the right decisions and drive the organisation forward. Our role as a board is to set the organisation’s strategic and risk management frameworks and ensure the principles and standards of the organisation are upheld.
I came into this sector to see as many new affordable homes built as possible and believe my experience within the sector will help SettleParadigm be part of this process.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
At times across the housing sector we have met many challenges including rising cost inflation, uncertainty in the sales market, shortages of skilled operatives and a cost-of-living crisis. These are all challenges that impact the day-to-day services that lead to the development of additional affordable homes which have affected our decision making at the Settle Board. I have enjoyed facing these challenges and finding solutions to prioritise key services and more new homes. We have seen a marked improvement in the delivery of our maintenance service with the number of damp and mould cases massively decreasing which leads to better outcomes for residents. I have enjoyed supporting the team in navigating this period and enabling them to continue to deliver new affordable homes and regenerate our older homes.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
My hope is that mergers bring efficiencies which will see the new organisations delivery costs reduce and the quality of that delivery improve. I hope existing residents will see the benefit through faster turnaround times on maintenance requests, better communication with staff and so a better understanding of residents’ aspirations. This will also mean there is more capacity within the organisation to deliver new affordable homes. The housing crisis is very real and the delivery of more new homes is a vital part of our mission.
Duncan Brown
Board member and Chair of Treasury Committee
Duncan is Chief Finance Officer at the housing association MTVH, where he is serving as member of the main board as well as the executive team. He was formerly Chief Finance Officer at VIVID, responsible for maintaining the organisation’s financial strength and sound governance, ensuring that their development plans are fully funded and technology helps to deliver VIVID’s services and ambitions.
Duncan is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years’ experience in the housing sector. He previously spent six years with KPMG where he provided financial planning and risk management services to some high-profile clients before moving into the housing sector.
Helen Evans
Board member
Helen has spent more than 40 years working in the housing sector and is currently Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Sovereign Network Group.
She was previously the CEO of Network Homes from 2011 until 2023. Prior to this, she was CEO of Brent Housing Partnership (BHP), Brent Council’s former housing management company. She also served as Chair of the G15 group of London’s leading housing associations between 2019 and 2021.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
Having worked in social housing for more than 40 years I am due to retire but wanted to maintain my links with the sector. I was attracted to SettleParadigm in particular, because it’s an interesting organisation, big enough to be fully developing but small enough to be fully invested in the communities it operates in.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
I have a deep knowledge of the social housing sector, having served as a Chief Executive and having held several non-executive positions. This experience has provided me with a broad insight into the challenges that associations and their customers face.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
One of the non-executive roles I have at the moment is with an NHS Trust in the mental health sector. The connection between wellbeing and decent housing is clear, the work housing associations do has a clear link to the overall health of the nation.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
SettleParadigm clearly has a competent, interesting and diverse Board and I’m looking forward to working with them.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
It’s early days but I do think it’s important that SettleParadigm, like all associations, gets the balance right between its current and future customers. Developing is hugely important but it’s also essential we maintain services to current customers and continue to invest in the homes we already have.
Mike Johnson
Board member and Chair of Investment Committee
Mike is a housing professional with almost 40 years in the sector. He has extensive experience of delivery of all aspects of residential property development, estate regeneration, joint ventures and large portfolio transactions. Mike has already been bringing this experience to his role as chair of the Paradigm Investment Committee; and also performs a similar role at another medium sized housing association.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
Having worked in housing for approaching 40 years I joined the Board at SettleParadigm to enable me to continue to work in the sector, to continue to promote delivery of new homes for residents and to impart my knowledge to help to drive better services for residents.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you will bring to SettleParadigm?
I’m a housing professional with extensive experience of delivery of all aspects of residential property development, estate regeneration, joint ventures and large portfolio transactions. I bring this experience to my role as chair of the SettleParadigm Investment Committee.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
My experience in housing has been predominantly in development and regeneration, although my career started in housing management and I have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by our residents and the staff managing the tenancies.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
The business case supporting the merger seeks to leverage greater capacity to deliver a greater number of homes through a wider range of delivery models, with greater and larger number of partners. I am an advocate of seeking to work in partnership with developers, housebuilders and those with sources of capital to deliver homes. Our larger scale will place us better to be able to exploit these opportunities. Paradigm was already evolving its development strategy in this direction, this work should provide a backdrop for the emerging growth strategy for SettleParadigm, which will be co-created with the new Investment Committee.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/ potential residents?
Having worked with Paradigm for two years, I am extremely keen to continue to be involved and to help to oversee the merged organisation to reach its potential; and to fulfil the objectives set out in the Business Case. Unlocking additional capacity will require skilful stewardship, but I believe the potential exists for SettleParadigm to be able to deliver better services in good quality, safe, secure homes.
Paul Phillips
Board member
Paul has an extensive career in the housing sector. From 2004 to 2018, he was the Group Finance Director of Notting Hill Housing Group and, following its merger with Genesis Housing Association, he became the Chief Financial Officer of the new group until his retirement in July 2021.
Prior to that he held similar roles with Servite Houses, Knightstone Housing Association and others. Paul is also a Board member of the Salvation Army Housing and Wandle Housing.
Paul is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds an MBA from the University of Bath.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
I had met a number of people who worked as Board members and senior staff at SettleParadigm and was attracted by the organisation’s desire to improve the housing of people in the Home Counties.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
I have been the Chief Financial Officer (or similar) of a range of housing associations for over 40 years. My most recent role was for 17 years as CFO for Notting Hill Housing, then Notting Hill Genesis, until my retirement in 2021. This experience gives me a detailed understanding of the finances of housing associations which I will use at SettleParadigm.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
I am also a trustee for Richmond Charities, an almshouse charity in the London Borough of Richmond. This gives me the opportunity to see the work of such an organisation at close quarters.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/ potential residents?
I hope that SettleParadigm will continue to build new homes for those who don’t have anywhere decent to live, as well as improving the services and homes we provide to our existing customers.
Richard Osborne
Board member
Richard has more than 40 years’ experience working in social housing, including leading strategic asset management and health and safety for one of the West Midlands’ largest housing organisations.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
A home is essential to personal and family wellbeing and growth, and having worked in social housing for many years I’ve seen how important the sector is in providing access to affordable, safe, good quality homes. Although I’m now retired, I’m still keen to support the sector in meeting the latest challenges to increasing the supply of affordable housing.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
I’ve been immensely fortunate to have enjoyed a rewarding and successful career spanning over 36 years in social housing, 23 of which have been at a senior level. My leadership experience includes housing management, repairs and maintenance and, for the last 12 years, property management including sustainability, building safety and strategic asset management. My experience covers large and complex property portfolios including pre- and post-war, traditional and non-traditional, high-rise, multiple tenure and supported housing.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
I’m a trustee of Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire, working with the charity’s board to provide accommodation and work for the homeless. Previously I’ve served on a variety of boards and committees which have included sports clubs for young people, a career academy for sixth form students, and Sure Start for young families.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
As a relatively new member I’ve really enjoyed the induction process, learning about the great work SettleParadigm is doing and meeting and getting to know the Board, the Executive team and other SettleParadigm colleagues. I’m also enjoying the mental stimulation associated with the many varied challenges and initiatives being worked through at the moment and am impressed by the positive mentality SettleParadigm applies to each.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents / potential residents?
It would be great if we could use the zero carbon agenda to deliver really meaningful benefits in the cost of powering and heating the home for a high percentage of customers.
Simon Jones
Board member and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee
Simon Jones is currently Chair of Finance & Audit Committee for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, which raises funds for the Hospice based at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. He is an experienced non-executive, working both in and with large businesses.
What made you want to become a SettleParadigm Board member?
During my professional career as an accountant, I became involved in the Social Housing sector when I acted as an audit partner to several HAs including Paradigm. I was drawn to the positive impact the sector has on the lives of its current and future tenants and decided when I left the accountancy profession to get involved as a non-executive director. I was particularly attracted to SettleParadigm as I live in its area of operation and see the work it does in the local communities.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to SettleParadigm?
I spent thirty years in the accountancy profession as an audit partner and latterly in a variety of executive board roles including strategic development, chief financial officer, and chief operating officer. I will use the financial, strategic, communication and analytical skills gained over that time to support and challenge the SettleParadigm executive team on the delivery of the current strategy and in shaping the future direction of the Group. I am also a board member of another Housing Association based in Essex.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm?
For most of my adult life, I have been involved with community-based charities where I have acted as treasurer and a trustee, as well as having been involved in voluntary youth work for many years. Through this, I have seen the importance of community and supporting people to enable them to support themselves and others.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents / potential residents?
As a new Board member, it is difficult for me to say at this stage. However I am passionate about the need and benefits of strong tenant engagement and involvement in Social Housing, so will seek to ensure we deliver on that.