Group Board

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 at Worcestershire County Cricket Club, Malvern Hills Science Park, Thursfields Legal Limited and Central Technology Belt; and a member of the Independent Remuneration Committee of Worcestershire County Council.

Craig Moule has been with Sanctuary for 30 years, having joined the organisation in 1989 from Coopers & Lybrand. Craig was appointed Group Chief Executive on 1 January 2019. Prior to this he was the Group’s Chief Financial Officer. While holding this position, Craig oversaw Sanctuary being the first housing association to implement a SAP enterprise solution and the formation of our Corporate Shared Service Centre. Craig is an ex-officio member of the Group Board.

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. Trudi is a visiting Professor in planning and land economy at Henley Business School, University of Reading, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. 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 sits on the Oxford Joint Planning Law Conference Committee; the University of Warwick Estates Committee; is Patron of the Commonwealth Association of Planners; and is a Commissioner of UK2070, an inquiry into regional inequalities.

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.

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 was a non-executive director within NHS primary care for 11 years (2007 to 2018) and chaired the Finance Committee there.

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.

Arvinda Gohil is an experienced chief executive and non-executive director in not-for-profit, voluntary, community, charity, homelessness and housing sectors. She is a high-achieving experienced leader, with a lifelong commitment and dedication to helping others, particularly communities and people at the margin, addressing important social challenges.

Arvinda has comprehensive knowledge of the social housing sector, having set up and run housing associations; as a non-executive board member of a national housing association; as well as regulatory experience, while Assistant Director Regulation at the Housing Corporation, and policy promotion. She is skilled at getting the best from governance, having developed a new version of the Code of Governance while Membership Services Director at the National Housing Federation. Her current non-executive roles are Chair of the Peel Institute, board member of Access Foundation and Chair of the Reach Committee.

Ed Lunt joined Sanctuary Group in May 2019 as Group Finance Director. He is responsible for finance and treasury, ensuring the Group maintains its financial strength to deliver its ambitions. Ed is also a co-opted member of the Group Board.

Ed is a Chartered Accountant who previously worked at Alliance Medical Limited, where he was the UK Finance Director. Prior to this Ed worked as a Finance Director at National Express and at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for 15 years, where he moved through various roles to become Audit Director.

As Group Director - Corporate Services, Nicole Seymour is responsible for human resources, learning and development, public relations and communications, customer services, health and safety, facilities, 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.