Meet the board

Piers brings a wealth of experience as both a Chair and a Non-Executive Director, having filled almost 40 senior board positions in a career spanning more than 30 years. This includes senior leadership in several charitable and not-for-profit organisations, including Croydon College, BRE Group, NHS Blood and Transplant and in the housing sector through The Hyde Group and currently Halesworth Ltd. Piers is the Board Member responsible for complaints.

Tracy is passionate about the role housing associations can play within society. She is a finance director by profession, with an early career spanning the charity and commercial sectors. She has a track record in leading organisations through tough times, creating a compelling vision, gaining buy in to change and working through others to achieve an organisation’s potential. Tracy has held senior roles including Deputy CEO at The Hyde Group, Finance Director at Origin Housing and Non-Executive roles with St Mungo’s, a leading homelessness charity and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Alex is Chair of the Investment and Finance Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Alex has had a career for more than 25 years in law, banking and investments. He recently left his executive career to pursue a non-executive, portfolio career and now sits on the boards of several companies and non-profit organisations. In his last executive role, Alex was a Senior Advisor to the CEO and Senior Managing Director at an international infrastructure investor, where he held leadership roles in project finance, new markets, strategy, partnerships, Latin America and Europe. He covered a range of sectors within the infrastructure and energy areas including real estate development, affordable and social housing, and retirement living.

Having experience in being a West Kent Board Member, Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and People and Appointments Committee, Janet is now an independent committee member for the Audit and Risk Committee, bringing significant experience to the role. Janet is a chartered accountant with more than 40 years’ experience. She was an assurance partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) until 2011, specializing in government and the broader public sector, including wide experience of external and internal audit, financial accounting advice and risk management and has an expertise in pensions.

Peter is a member of the Investment and Finance and Audit and Risk Committees. He has over 28 years of experience as an executive and non-executive director in the public, private and third sectors including banking, central government and the NHS. Peter led the setting up of the Resident Scrutiny Panel at Moat Homes, which he subsequently chaired, and was also a trustee director at Citizens Advice – North and West Kent for ten years. He is currently a non-executive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

Abdool is a member of the Communities and Housing, and Remuneration and Appointments Committees. Abdool has a broad understanding of the Housing Sector gained from roles in local authorities, the Audit Commission and Swale Borough Council as CEO. He also had previous non-executive director roles with Folio (a Nottinghill Genesis subsidiary), Solace, Tower Hamlets ALMO. He’s currently at the National Audit Office with a portfolio that covers DLUHC, DHSC and DfE, leading on both financial audit and value for money reviews and their People programme. Abdool is also a strategic adviser to the Wales Centre for Public Policy.

Akin is a board member with a development interest and sits on the Investment and Finance Committee. Akin is a chartered surveyor by background, currently leading for the NHS on the £200m built environment and technical aspects of the St Pancras Development Project. He has over 24 years’ experience of delivering major regeneration and housing development programmes across the UK, working with Homes England and Housing and sector leading Housing Associations. He is currently a non-executive director for First Wave Housing.

Kevin is a board member with a IT/digital interest and sits on the Investment and Finance Committee and Remuneration and Appointments Committee. Kevin is seasoned IT Director and CIO with experience of organisations from privately-held, to non-profit and the public sector, leading and driving digital change and ensuring the IT strategy enables the strategic ambitions. Currently partner with the advisory firm, Gartner and before that IT Director, Clarion Group. He is currently deputy chair and trustee for the West Kent based charity Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services.

Jo is an experienced executive and non executive director in strategic asset management and sustainability. She is a Fellow of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Management Institute, and has held director roles across public, private and voluntary sector organisations, including Deloitte and Raven Housing Trust. Jo is currently a non executive director at Wandle Housing Association and is Chair of the Board at 2gether, the facilities subsidiary for East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust.

Mark is a seasoned customer experience director and currently serves as Chief Customer Officer at Transport for London (TfL), overseeing the research and insight team, customer strategy development, and customer experience improvements on public transport. He is also a Trustee Director of the TfL Pension Fund, acting as Chair of the Alternatives and Liability Hedging Committee and Vice Chair of the Investment Committee.

Ben is a tenant board member and sits on the Communities and Housing Committee. Ben is an Ordained Minister, affiliated to the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance, and is Senior Minister at The Elim Church in Swanley and Lead Chaplin at Ellenor Hospice, Gravesend. He is also involved in a number of community projects which include ‘Who Let the Dads Out’, which supports fathers and their children and gives dads a chance to connect with other dads, and Area Co-ordinator for Christian Vision for Men; a national men’s ministry. Ben sits on the Faith Panel at Radio Kent from time-to-time. He is a Trustee of Swanley and District Foodbank and he pioneered the budding U-Grow Seed-to-Plate Food project which teaches members of the community to grow, harvest and cook their food.

Megan is a tenant board member and sits on the Communities and Housing Committee. Having grown up and lived in a West Kent property all of her life, Megan brings a valuable insight into the Board and the opportunity to input and have a part in helping to shape West Kent’s future. Megan is an actor and was able to benefit from West Kent’s Rising Star Bursary which paid for her drama lessons which led to her gaining a drama scholarship to attend Sevenoaks School. Megan is now keen to encourage others into the performing arts sector. Having taken part in one of the photography courses provided by West Kent, Megan is eager to spread awareness of the amazing community projects available. Megan is also a founding member of She Wolves Theatre Company, a professional company of young actors and producers seeking to subvert classical female narratives through current, cutting-edge theatre. They donate all the money from their programs to the ‘My Body Back' programme, a charity that supports women after sexual assault.