Group Board

Jonathan Lander retired as a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) in 2008, having been with the organisation for over 30 years. At PwC Jonathan was lead assurance engagement partner to public companies, large private and private equity backed companies and businesses with overseas ownership, as well as being a Midlands Leadership team member responsible for strategy, marketing, communications and business development.

I am passionate about ensuring Sanctuary Group delivers its charitable objectives of providing housing and care to those who need it.

David Bennett is a chartered accountant and has extensive experience in the housing association sector. He has been the Group Chief Executive of Sanctuary since 1992. Prior to joining Sanctuary in 1990, he held senior finance positions in the commercial sector. David was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015 for services to social housing.

Robert McComb is a retired investment banker with experience in treasury, structured and asset finance, and debt capital markets. Prior to retiring from Dresdner Kleinwort in 2007, Robert was treasurer of the bank’s $36bn structured credit fund, issuing bonds to investors worldwide. He was a senior member of the bank’s structured finance group, with specific responsibility for structured finance in France.

Since retiring, Robert has been a non-executive chair of a venture capital funded hospitality business and a board member of a small north London housing association. He continues to take a close interest in the financial markets.

Trudi Elliott is a Chartered Town Planner and was formerly a lawyer, practising in both the public and private sectors. In April 2018 Trudi was appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as the Chair of the Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales. Prior to this Trudi was Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute; Director of the Government Office for the West Midlands; Chief Executive of West Midlands Regional Assembly (Regional Planning Body); Director of Local Government Practice (West Midlands); and Chief Executive of Bridgnorth District Council.

Trudi has considerable experience across the civil service, local Government, charity and private sector, and she has a strong track record of partnership working and delivery.

Trudi is an experienced non-executive board member. She is a member of the Department of Communities and Local Government Planning Sounding Board; is on the Chartered Institute of Housing’s steering group looking at the future of social housing; chairs the Oxford Joint Planning Law Conference Committee; sits on the National Infrastructure Planning Association policy council and the University of Warwick Estates Committee; and is Patron of the Commonwealth Association of Planners. Trudi also speaks and writes extensively on planning, housing, sustainability and the built environment.

Thelma Stober is a Senior Public Sector Solicitor and Mediator. She is currently the Corporate Legal Adviser to the Local Government Association and its associated companies, where she delivers legal advice and company secretarial support on all aspects of law relating to public, administrative, constitutional, company, commercial, local government and corporate governance. Thelma is also a Lay Member of Herts Valley Clinical Commissioning Group and chair of its Primary Care Co-Commissioning Committee.

Prior to her present role, Thelma was Director of Corporate Law and Governance and Board Secretary at the Equality and Human Rights Commission and, before that, Director of Legal and Procurement and Monitoring Officer at the Greater London Authority and the London Development Agency.

Elwyn Roberts is an engineering graduate and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte Haskins and Sells in Cardiff. He became a partner in the audit and assurance business of PwC in 1990 and retired from the organisation in December 2011.

While at PwC, Elwyn was involved in developing the firm’s housing association portfolio in Wales and the South West. He also advised a range of organisations in the charity sector, including the Aberfan Disaster Fund, and was appointed to the Charity Commission’s national working party for the development of the 2000 SORP (accounting guidance for charities) in 1999.

During his time with PwC in Birmingham, Elwyn was responsible for developing and leading the firm’s Risk Assurance practice in the Midlands.  Focusing on governance, risk and control, he advised clients in both the private and public sector on Corporate Governance and Risk Management.

Gareth Tuckwell brings many years of experience in clinical leadership, care delivery and clinical governance to the Group. Gareth was Chief Executive Officer of Burrswood Hospital, Kent, from 2007 for a five-year term, Clinical Director of Hospice in the Weald from 2003 to 2007, and Regional Director of Macmillan Cancer Support from 2000 to 2003.

Gareth was a Trustee of Macmillan Cancer Support from 2003 to 2013 and a Trustee and subsequently chairman of Friends of Vellore (UK) from 2011 to 2016. Gareth was also Medical Director of Burrswood Hospital from 1986 to 1999.

He is a Vice-President of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care and, from 2017, is Chair of The M.E. Trust.

Denise Plumpton is currently a non-executive of CSW Sport and Chair of its Audit and Governance Committee. Denise is also an active member of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

Since 2010 Denise has worked as an Independent Strategic Consultant advising and directing companies to improve their performance, in particular focusing on developing and delivering strategy, and enhancing customer service and process efficiency. Prior to this, Denise was Director of Information at the Highways Agency; IT Director at Sendo Group; Group IT Director at TNT UK & Ireland; and Chief Information Officer/Director for Powergen Plc.

Craig Moule joined Sanctuary in 1989 from Coopers & Lybrand. He is responsible for finance and resources including financial strategy, treasury and risk, information systems, business information, procurement, asset management, and the Shared Service Centre.

Craig manages Sanctuary’s relationships with investors, bankers, internal and external auditors, and the rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service. In addition, Craig leads on negotiations of complex commercial deals including raising private finance.

As Group Director - Corporate Services, Nicole Seymour is responsible for human resources, learning and development, public relations and communications, customer services, health and safety, governance, and legal services. Nicole is a co-opted member of the Group Board and is the company secretary to Sanctuary and all of its subsidiaries.

Nicole successfully completed Sanctuary’s graduate programme in 2014, and initially worked in its business development team before setting up a new service for the strategic oversight of complaints, management of enquiries from key external contacts, and the maintenance of policies and procedures across the Group.

Andrew Manning-Cox retired as Senior Litigation Partner from Gowling WLG (UK) LLP in 2018, having been with the organisation for 40 years. He specialised in dispute resolution world-wide. Andrew is now in practice as an Arbitrator, Mediator and a Notary Public.

Andrew is an experienced non-executive director of a number of companies and public bodies. He is currently Chair of Hereford Enterprise Zone (Skylon Park); a member of the Law Faculty Advisory Committee at the University of Worcester; a non-executive director and member of the Strategic Board at Worcestershire County Cricket Club; a non-executive director at Malvern Hills Science Park, Thursfields Legal Limited and Central Technology Belt; and a member of the Independent Remuneration Committee of Worcestershire County Council.