Our Board and Committees

Our Board is responsible for setting the Association's governance and strategic direction, ensuring it upholds its values and is run well. The Board Chair receives a small remuneration; other members are unpaid. Board members can serve for a maximum of nine years and are elected at the annual general meeting by shareholders.

The Board is supported by three committees which help to add scrutiny to our activities.

Audit and Risk
This committee oversees internal control, assurance and risk management and is chaired by Veronica Lindsay.

Governance and Remuneration
This committee ensures that systems and policies are in place in relation to people, governance, and remuneration. It is chaired by Sinead McQuillan.

Tenant Experience Committee
This committee provides assurance to the Board around the delivery of safe, high-quality services to tenants and focuses on enhancing the overall tenant experience. It oversees arrangements for tenant engagement and complaint handling. Two tenants sit on this Committee, alongside board members, and it is chaired by Patricia Yusuff.

LSHA

Board Members Profiles

James Cross

Elected to the Board in 2019 (Senior Development Manager, London Borough of Newham)

James has been working for local authorities in London since 2007 with a background in Housing Advice, Homelessness and Allocations. Since 2015 he has played a key role in the GLA’s building homes for Londoners programme and the delivery of 2,500 council homes in Southwark, before moving to Newham council in 2020. James has experience and knowledge across the development sector and currently specialises in resident engagement, wheelchair housing and Passivhaus construction practices across infill developments and strategic regeneration sites.

Veronica Lindsay, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Elected to the Board in 2020
(Housing Finance, Risk & IT)

Veronica’s career in social housing spans over 20 years specialising in Finance, IT and risk and prior to that worked in the private sector for manufacturing and retail organisations. A qualified accountant, she has held senior positions with both large and small housing associations including: East Thames Housing Group, Clarion, and Ekaya Housing. She is currently Head of Finance & IT at Hornsey Housing Trust and is also a Finance Co-optee for Spark Inside, a charity specialising in unlocking the potential of those impacted by the criminal justice system . Veronica is passionate how social housing can make a difference in peoples’ lives and brings expertise in Finance, Treasury, Risk Management, Financial Planning and IT to support LSHA governance and corporate objectives.

Nicholas Arthur

Elected to the Board in 2021
(Housing and asset management specialist)

Nicholas has been an operations & strategic leader for nearly 23 years working across various areas in housing including regeneration, housings and asset management, community investment & community safety.

Rachel Askew

Elected to the Board in 2021 (Development Consultant)

Rachel is a Development Consultant who has worked in housing for over nine years. Rachel started her career in housing on a graduate scheme at Lewisham Homes, following the completion of a BSc Psychology degree at University College London. Since then, Rachel has held a variety of roles in the sector within development, asset management and major works for both Local Authorities, Housing Associations and ALMOs.

Sinead McQuillan, Chair of the Governance and Remuneration Committee

Elected to the Board in 2022 (Governance Specialist)

Sinead is a qualified Company Secretary with over 30 years experience in a range of governance roles in a variety of not for profit organisations including housing providers, the housing regulator and the National Housing Federation. She also has experience of other sectors including Higher Education, Skills and Pensions. She has previous non-exec experience as a board member and Chair of Innisfree Housing Association. She is currently the Company Secretary of Be First Regeneration Ltd a subsidiary of LB Barking & Dagenham.

Nichola Harrison, Chair

Elected to the Board in 2024
(Assistant Director - H&S, Fleet and Facilities)

Nichola has extensive senior leadership experience in enterprise risk across high and medium risk sectors such as construction, utilities and manufacturing. She is currently Global Health, Safety and Environment Director for Malvern Panalytical, a B2B organisation with manufacturing, warehousing and service operations in over 90 countries.

David Longbottom

Elected to the Board in 2024
(Housing and Regeneration Consultant)

David has over 30 years’ experience in the housing and economic regeneration sector both as an adviser and as a lead client officer for local authorities. Since 2006 he has worked as an advisor to the public sector on the development of area regeneration programmes, the delivery of new affordable housing and service reviews. Prior to this he worked in the housing development teams in three London boroughs including leading the estate regeneration programme and housing investment planning for the London Borough of Lambeth.

Ola Okuwobi-Dabiri

Elected to the Board in 2024
(Real Estate Finance & Modelling Specialist)

Ola Okuwobi-Dabiri is a Real Estate professional with fifteen years of experience in Debt Finance, Business Strategy, and Financial Modelling. He currently works as the Finance lead for Maia Group and has previously worked for Deutsche Bank, PwC, and HSBC. He has degrees from Imperial College and IESE Business School and serves in other non-executive roles focused on supporting underprivileged youths.

Patricia Yusuff

Elected to the Board in 2024
(Customer Service & Insight)

Patricia has over 25 years’ experience in the social housing sector. As an experienced senior housing leader, she has a strong track record of service transformation, performance improvement and a passion for excellent customer service. She has held senior housing management roles in Housing Associations, Almshouses, ALMO’s and Local Authorities. Patricia currently works as a senior Housing Services Leader with a Local Authority.

Carol Myers

Co-Opted to the Board in 2024

Carol joined the Board after being a LSHA tenant for a decade, seeing this as an opportunity to take on more responsibility and contribute to the betterment of her community. Carol has witnessed firsthand the challenges that come with community living. Her experiences as a tenant have fuelled her desire to play a more active role in shaping LSHA’s housing policies and ensuring it’s community thrives. She is keen to represent the collective interests of LSHA’s tenants by listening to their concerns and ensuring that their voices are heard in all decision-making processes.