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Meet the board

Meet the Board

NoraAnnHeery

Nora Ann Heery

Chair of the Board

Nora Ann has spent her career working in the NHS having joined as a graduate trainee. She qualified as an accountant with the NHS and has held a range of finance roles in NHS organisations, predominately in the north west.

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She has operated at Director of Finance level for over 20 years, including Wirral Community Trust, Aintree University Hospital, and University Hospital of South Manchester. Nora Ann is a member of CIPFA.

The skills she brings to the board include financial management, commercial acumen, strong corporate governance experience and a keen desire to develop the inter-dependencies between the health and housing sectors.

Outside of work her interests include gardening, theatre and foreign travel when the time permits.

MartinJoyce

Martin Joyce

Deputy Chair

Martin was part of a team and then Managing Director of a leading public sector and utilities outsourcing business that saw the business grow from an annual turnover of £5m to over £1bn during which he developed and honed his business, commercial and people leadership skills.

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He has considerable experience in strategic acquisitions, a wide experience of public-private partnerships and joint venture partnership working.

Along with the ability to recognise and balance the needs of all stakeholders to lead and grow a substantial and diverse service business Martin has a proven track record in handing complex negotiations with central government and their local agents as well as establishing local authority joint working. Martin brings a breadth of commercial and business experience from a variety of sectors.

Martin is part of a management team that has a number of business interests in the north west. Away from work he has a close affinity with his local football team and is a keen cyclist, runner and walker with strong links to serving his local community.

Jim Barclay

Jim Barclay

A qualified accountant and MBA holder, Jim’s background includes 8 years as Finance Director of Merseytravel, a c£360m public transport and tourism organisation. Jim worked with a number of regional and national stakeholders and where transport was seen as an enabler to social and economic growth. Since 2013 has developed a consultancy business working primarily in the rail sector.

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Bringing extensive Board Level experience, Jim has held the roles of an Executive, Non-Executive and Board Chair. He has a very thorough understanding of the statutory obligations a Trustee , Non-Executive Director or Panel Chair has to deliver.

Jim has been a trustee and treasurer for a national charity, as well as being an independent Chair for a HS2 Panel. In March 2019 Jim was appointed as a governor of Wrexham Glyndwr University. During his time at Wrexham he was a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the university’s subsidiary company Glyndwr Innovations Ltd.

Jim’s motivation for joining the board at the university and ForHousing is rooted in a desire to help organisations that create social good and allow people to live fulfilling lives or find the opportunity to do so. Whilst he hopes that his experiences and skills will make a positive contribution to ForHousing, he also sees the opportunity for his own personal development working in the housing sector.

SteveBentley

Steve Bentley

Steve has spent over 35 years in the Banking sector, all with Barclays Bank here in the North West. His first role was as a cashier at Walkden branch and over the years he has managed various teams and divisions within the organisation, although his career has predominantly been spent serving UK corporate clients.

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Since 2014 he has specialised in supporting Social Housing providers from the bank’s Manchester offices in Spinningfields.

Previously an Associate of the Institute of Bankers, he brings considerable experience in treasury management, funding negotiations, corporate governance and an appreciation of regulatory requirements to the organisation.

Having retired in 2019 Steve now enjoy more time walking, gardening and following his beloved Leigh Centurions Rugby League team.

Paul Kennedy

Paul Kennedy

Paul is a highly experienced leader having held a number of Executive and Non-Executive positions over the last 25 years. He has a successful track record of working across a broad range of sectors and has a passion for working with organisations that can make a difference in society.

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Following a career in the Civil Service, which saw him involved in the Government’s market testing programme during the 1990’s, his executive career has subsequently spanned FTSE 100, privately owned and private equity backed organisations.

His current non-executive portfolio includes Inprova Group – a Procurement Services & Technology businesses providing solutions to customers in the UK and US. The Group provides services to over 1000 social housing, independent healthcare organisations and education institutions.

Positive Futures – a Youth Inclusion Charity who provide a wide variety of intervention services to disadvantaged young people.

His approach is guided by his absolute focus on the two things he is passionate about in business – organisational culture and an understanding of the customer.

Donna Cezair

Donna Cezair, Chief Executive of Worthing Homes, and former CEO of First Choice Homes Oldham, brings to the role a wealth of leadership experience in the housing sector and a strong track record of implementing transformative change.

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