Board

Howard Cresswell (Chair)

I am currently Chair of Integration & Transformation Committee and Board member at Southern Housing. I have 34 years of experience working in social housing as an executive, interim chief executive, consultant, and non-executive director. I also had a long career at Circle 33/Circle Anglia, becoming deputy group chief executive, and I have a professional background in governance, people management and development. I currently live in Suffolk.

Mark Webster (Vice Chair)

I joined the Board as a co-opted member in May 2018, having worked in the housing association sector since 1990. For 10 years, I was a board member of a South Midlands housing group, serving as group chair for the last five years. My professional career was with a major financial institution where I specialised in financing housing associations. I have a keen interest in affordable rural housing issues, sport, and the natural environment.

Adam Colby

I am an independent management consultant specialising in business transformation. I’ve worked with various organisations, including local and national housing associations. My first independent piece of work was with Havebury in 2013, which introduced me to the organisation and housing. It’s a fantastic organisation with good, clear social values at its heart. It’s great to be able to support them as a non-executive director on their Tenant Experience and People, Remuneration and Nominations Committees.

Kym Hudson

I have an impressive track record of outstanding performance at senior levels in risk, transformational change, customer service and operations management over more than 30 years in the financial services industry. I led the Customer Proposition Integration Programme when NatWest and RBS merged in 2001. More recently, I was one of a very small cadre of female executives to lead the regulatory interface during a high-profile industry payments systems failure. I hold an Operations Management MBA from Warwick University, am qualified in AML/STF and am an MSP practitioner in Programme Management. I am also a seasoned conference speaker, am media trained and have appeared on TV discussing the life and challenges of senior women in banking.

Since leaving full-time City life, I have worked as an executive coach and mentor, become a business consultant, started working with a financial services recruitment company, been a non-executive director for a FinTech start-up and am now excited to be working with Havebury. Away from work, I am married to Martin and have a daughter, Ciara.

Sara Garnham

I bring experience from Executive and Non-Executive positions in public, private and third-sector organisations across various sectors, including construction, housing, the tech sector, education, care and the arts.

I am also actively involved in the local community in Cambridge.

I first got involved in housing as a charity Board member in the 1980s in Cambridge, leading the charity through an ambitious development programme. In 2006, I joined Hill Partnership as business development director, and I have continued my commitment to the social housing sector with various housing association Board roles.

I am also currently Chair of the Board at Hundred Houses Society in Cambridge.

Claire Davis

I have 30 years of experience in the UK and Australia’s social and affordable housing sector. As a chartered accountant, my senior management roles included finance director and director of corporate Services, delivering a range of services including finance, HR, IT and risk management.

I now combine my work as an Executive Coach with my non-executive director roles.

I am a non-executive director at BlueCHP Ltd, Sydney, Australia, as well as a member of the Group Audit & Risk Committee of Ocean Housing Group, Cornwall, UK and a non-executive director of Ocean’s wholly owned subsidiary called Gilbert & Goode Ltd, Cornwall.

Alicia Mortlock

I started life in a council property, as did many of my contemporaries. For many of our parents, it was a stepping stone towards becoming homeowners as well as a safety net for those needing extra support. I am excited at the prospect of working with a forward-looking housing association to improve the lives of residents as well as extending the opportunities for people in Suffolk to become homeowners if they so wish.

I bring to the role academic study in social policy and societal changes, as well as a former career in community development work with a special interest in rural deprivation. In my spare time, I like to knit, crochet and sew; in the past, I was a professional knitter for some of the best-known designers in the UK and formerly had my own small business selling at craft markets.

Deb Thomas

I joined the Board in September 2022.  I enjoy using my professional and technical expertise to scrutinise the services provided by Havebury for the benefit of current and future residents.

I am an assistant director of development at Aster Group, a large housing associate based in Wiltshire, with homes across much of the south-west of England.  I have worked in the housing sector since 2016, when I joined Central & Cecil Housing Trust (C&C), working in their Development team. In August 2018, I became executive director for property and development, responsible for development, asset management, repairs, and property compliance.  Following C&C’s merger with Aster in January 2022, I now have responsibility for development activity in London.

I am a structural engineer by training and worked for Arup for over 25 years, designing buildings, including offices, museums, schools, and housing.  I am passionate about sustainable design and have a growing interest in heat networks and the contribution they can make to reducing carbon emissions. Outside of work, I am a trustee of CTU Collective and Camden Highline, both Camden-based charities. I moved to Cambridge in 2020 and am the group scout leader at the 1st Trumpington Scout Group.