Meet the team

Andrew brings with him vast previous experience within the sector, including being the Executive Director of a midlands based housing, care and support organisation.

Sara is a highly-motivated, dedicated and experienced customer service, repairs & maintenance, housing, asset management and community engagement professional with a track record of delivering excellent services. Sara has worked in the housing and social care sector for more than 30 years with almost 22 years skills, knowledge and experience at director level including more than four years at CEO level within a complex Group structure.

She has managed and motivated teams in all disciplines: across housing management, customer care, customer engagement, asset management, DLO’s & repairs, community development, care & support services and health & well-being.

As director of customer experience, Sara is responsible for ensuring Connexus is compliant with the consumer standards.

Chair of People, Remuneration and Culture Committee

Nicola is passionate about social transformation, and in particular the systemic relationship between education, health and housing.

As Chair of Council at the University of Gloucestershire, she is an advocate for education as a means of transforming people’s lives so that they can make the world a better place, and for the civic role the University plays in its community. She is a champion for the University’s pioneering approach to Sustainability. She is currently Vice Chair of the UK’s University Chairs representative body, the CUC, becoming Chair in June 2024.

Nicola sits on the Board of the Gloucestershire Health and Care Foundation Trust.

In the private sector, Nicola chairs the Reference Committee for the Premier Miton UK Responsible Investment Fund, with a remit to advise on the fund’s investment policy and scrutinise investment decisions from the perspective of sustainability and ethics.

Previously, Nicola worked in the financial services sector as a global change lead. She also spent several years working as a freelance management consultant majoring in complex, strategic change across different sectors, both in the UK and internationally.

Chair of Customer Experience Committee

Simon is the Managing Director of Whitbread Plc Hotels and Restaurants, overseeing the day to day running of 1,300 operations and a team of 35,000 people, delivering in excess of £2.5bn annual turnover.

His strengths centre on leading complex and scale operations, transformational change, and rapid organisational growth. This through a lens of sustainable 21st century leadership.

His life experiences, combined with family ties to Shropshire and Herefordshire, have given Simon a real passion for the Connexus journey.

Chair designate, Finance and Investment Committee

A qualified accountant, Anne spent 25 years in executive positions in three large housing association groups in the Midlands which has given her an excellent knowledge and understanding of the sector and the issues it faces. Over the years she has highlighted the importance of sound finances, excellent treasury and cash management as well as the need for surpluses to invest in new and improved homes and services.

Since retiring from her role as chief operating officer at Orbit Group in March 2016, she has concentrated on non-executive positions, primarily in housing associations. This has included group board roles in three large and varied registered social landlords, including chairing treasury and audit committees.

Having previously served on numerous CIPFA and NHF committees and working groups on housing related issues, Anne was a regular speaker at housing and finance conferences. In 2023 she was appointed as treasurer trustee of the Stratford upon Avon Foodbank, as she was keen to use her skills to support local projects and initiatives.

Abigail comes from a military background and has fifteen years’ experience at senior management level within Social Housing. This includes three years as Executive Director responsible for a wide portfolio including Organisational Development, HR, Governance, ICT, Communications, Project Management, Facilities, Fleet Management and Corporate Strategy, Performance and Planning.

Abigail is a Business Psychologist and Fellow of the CIPD and has a particular interest in organisational culture. She is currently the Director of Organisational Effectiveness and Development at Oxford Brookes University.

James served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) for more than 35 years. His career encompassed senior roles leading HR strategy for both the RAF and all three UK Armed Forces; and in infrastructure, with responsibility for major portfolios of military bases in the UK and overseas.

He rose to lead the RAF’s infrastructure profession and, in his final role, led the provision of housing to circa 40,000 families of all three Armed Forces in the UK and across 16 countries in Europe.

He has experienced housing services as both a customer and the provider of military housing and is passionate about the importance of delivering high-quality housing and related services. He also brings extensive experience developing strategy for very large organisations, and leading large, dispersed teams through major change.