Ms Kim Newman, BSc (Hons), FCIPS, MBIFM, FCMI, MInstLM, MIAM, MIOD

Chair

Kim joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2015, now holding the position of Chair of the Board.

With a background in commercial management, business strategy and experience with collaboration/partnership working, Kim is the founder and Managing Director of PML, a specialist Performance Improvement Consultancy within the housing, property, and professional services sectors. Prior to setting up PML in 1995, Kim spent a number of years at Capita, Turner and Townsend in various leadership roles.

Helen Driver

Vice-chair

Helen joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2019 and is Vice Chair of the Board.

Helen is Collaboration Director at MyBnk, a national financial education charity.

Formerly the Head of Investor Relations at Aviva plc, responsible for the group’s financial communications with shareholders and the investment community.

Helen was formerly Head of Global Equities at Aviva Investors, and prior to that Investment Director at Standard Life Investments in Edinburgh, where she was responsible for investment analysis of UK-listed companies and managing UK Equity pension funds and portfolios.

Alastair Thomas, BSc (Hons), FRICS

Board Member

Alastair joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2012. He is Chair of Orwell Homes Limited and also sits on the Remuneration Committee.

Alastair is a Chartered Surveyor and the founder of the Equity Estates Group in 1990 that undertakes commercial and residential property development, investment, and asset management, principally in East Anglia and the South East. Uniquely the Group also undertakes the delivery of park and ride schemes and to date has designed, planned, and delivered over 3,000 spaces for both Essex and Suffolk County Councils, including Ipswich’s first park and ride at Copdock.

Alastair retires from the Board in March 2022.

Barbara Thorndick, OBE FCIH BA (Hons)

Board Member

Barbara joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2016 and is Chair of the Remuneration
and Nominations Committee.

She is the former Chief Executive of West Kent Housing Association, which under her leadership was the first housing association in the country to be awarded top marks by government inspectors for delivering excellent services to residents. In 2007/8 she set up the Placeshapers Group of housing associations to help represent the interests of community-based housing associations who further their work through locally based partnerships. In 2008 she was awarded the OBE for services to social housing.

Jeanette Alfano, MBA BTech (Hons)

Board Member

Jeanette joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2015 and Chairs the Governance Committee.

She retired in 2019 from her role as the Director of Technology and Transformation for Optivo. Her responsibilities included the integration of all the core systems and the plans to transform Optivo into a Digital Enterprise.

Jeanette has spent her career in technology roles, starting in computing in 1978. She is passionate about the use of technology as an enabler for corporate success and has worked in both the private and public sectors.

Dan Gaul

Board Member

Dan joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in 2015.

Dan was previously head of service for Suffolk County Council and was responsible for the council’s 16 residential care homes for older people. He was lead manager for the department’s capital programme and coordinating the development of specialist housing services with district and borough councils. He has also had management roles within procurement and corporate services.

Dan retires from the Board in March 2022.

Cynthia Alers, MBA MA MISSoc

Board Member

Cynthia joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2017 and Chairs the Audit Committee.

She is a consultant specialising in stakeholder engagement, capital markets intelligence and corporate governance.

Cynthia has worked in finance for most of her career, holding senior positions in investor relations, corporate strategy and corporate communications for companies including JP Morgan, Sage Group, Laird plc and Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR), where she worked on a wide range of strategic reviews, capital-raisings, IPOs, corporate restructurings, and acquisitions.

Dayle Bayliss

Board Member

Dayle joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2020.

As a Chartered Surveyor, eight years ago Dayle’s desire to deliver construction services from a different perspective led her to found Dayle Bayliss Ltd, a Surveying, Design and Project Management Consultancy. This gave Dayle the freedom
to exercise her collaborative approach to construction projects, as well as tackle the challenges of skills and diversity in construction. Dayle has already won national and local business awards, including East Anglian Daily Times Young Business Person of the Year 2012, Project ‘@ TheRec’ Winner of the 2015 East of England RICS Regeneration Award and highly commended accolades for her work.

Ian Pinches

Board Member

Ian joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2020.

Ian is a qualified accountant (FCCA) with a background in senior management and Senior Executive Director within the Social Housing and Care industry.) Coupled with a decade of Non-Executive experience gained across a variety of public sector organisations, Ian also has a decade of experience establishing and running a multi award-winning business operating in the Hospitality sector. Ian has been a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts for over a decade.

Brett Rennolds

Board Member

Brett joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2020.

Brett has a proven track record in Business Development, Care & Support, Governance and Audit & Risk. As a voluntary and public-sector specialist, he works with organisations, groups and individuals to enable development, change and growth, enjoying the challenges associated with change management, co production and stakeholder engagement, primarily it’s the ‘winning of hearts and minds’ that drives him. Brett identifies solutions to challenges collaboratively, inclusively and transparently.

Lauren Bayliss-Fuller

Board Member

Lauren joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2021.

Lauren has worked in a variety of people focussed settings, concentrating on providing outstanding information, advice and guidance to individuals and communities who face barriers to work and learning. She is known within her team and networks as a genuinely kind and compassionate individual who is happy to advocate for others and, despite its challenges, will always do the right thing.

Lauren is a tenant of Orwell Housing Association Limited.

Stuart Appleby

Board Member

Stuart joined the Board of Orwell Housing Association in March 2021.

Stuart is the Head of Health & Human Sciences and a lecturer in Humanities and Business Management within the department of University Studies at West Suffolk College.

For the past ten years, Stuart has been actively involved in Orwell Housing’s Resident Steering Group, giving him a critical lens through which to view the inner workings of Orwell as it has developed and evolved.

Stuart is a former tenant of the Association and is now a shared owner and of an Orwell property.