Executive Directors
Bjorn Howard, Group Chief Executive
(Appointed May 2009) Bjorn has worked for several housing organisations in the public and independent sectors, having started his career at the Borough Council in Essex. In the early 1990s, he moved to Hampshire where he had several roles at East Hampshire HA before becoming Director of Housing & Care and then Director of Operations at Drum Housing Group. In 2003, he was appointed to his first CEO post at Coastline Housing Ltd, a stock transfer housing association based in Cornwall, where he worked with colleagues to transform a failing company into one with excellent prospects for the future. Bjorn has previously served as a Statutory Appointee on the Board of a housing association that was in Supervision and, since 2006, has been a non-executive director of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
John Brace, Group Resources Director and
Deputy Group Chief Executive
(Appointed 2000 to Sarsen Housing Association and 2003
to Group). Former Housing Association Finance Director and
Company Secretary, Member of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of England and Wales.
Steve Benson, Managing Director, Testway Housing
(Appointed May 2006) Former Housing Association Director
and Local Authority Assistant Director of Housing. Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing and President 2008 - 09.
Steve Blake, Group Development Director
(Appointed February 2008) Former Development Director of
a Housing Association and former Partnering Manager with
a private sector developer. Member of the Charter Institute
of Building.
Alan Brunt, Managing Director, Flourish Homes
(Appointed January 2006) Former Housing Association
Chief Executive and Housing Corporation Regulation
Manager. Member of the National Housing Federation South
West Regional Committee. Fellow of the Institute of Certified
Accountants
Stuart Davies, Managing Director, Sarsen Housing
Association and Ridgeway Community Housing Association
(Appointed October 2003) Former Housing Association Chief
Executive and Local Authority Housing Director. Member of the
Chartered Institute of Housing South West Regional Committee.
Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Brian Whittaker, Group HR Director
(Appointed October 2007) Former HR Director of an
international hotel chain and a national restaurant group.
Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Affiliate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
