Independent board members

Peter Gombera

Peter is the Director of Capital Projects for an inner London Further Education college. He is responsible for the strategic management of the college’s capital projects and for the redevelopment of the college site with a value of over £100 million.

Previous to this Peter worked for Capital & Regional Plc as a Development Manager and was part of the management team of FIX-UK, a £180m commercial trade centre fund. 

Peter has also worked in both the public and private sectors as a Senior Capital Projects and Estates Manager. He has worked for Oxford University, Derby University, Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust Hospitals and a large Housing Association Group based in Hampshire and Surrey.

Peter is a Chartered Surveyor and has the following academic qualifications; BSc (Hons) Building Surveying, MSc Construction Project Management, MA Total Quality and Customer Services Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Real Estate and Management

Skill area:  Capital Projects Management, Real Estates Management and Development

Liz Jenkins

Liz has been a practising solicitor for more than 20 years. She is one of the founding  partners of a law firm whose head office is in Reigate. Liz specialises in construction  law and more recently in PFI/PPP including social housing. She is married with 4 daughters and lives in South Nutfield.

Skill area: Legal

 

Ashley Horsey

Ashley has more than 20 years experience working in social housing, much of it spent tackling homelessness.

He has extensive experience at both senior executive and Board level in housing associations most recently Ashley as a Board member for Soho Housing Association in central London and as Commercial Director at Local Space, a new housing association in East London which delivered more than 1,100 additional social homes in just 3 years.

A former senior civil servant Ashley was Head of the Government's Bed & Breakfast Unit, where he successfully reduced the use of B&B hotels as temporary accommodation for homeless families. He was Chief Executive of the campaigning charity, The Empty Homes Agency and is currently Chief Executive of Commonweal Housing an independent housing charity.

Skill areas: Housing management, housing policy, business planning

 

 

Tony Underwood

Tony is a retired senior executive of National Westminster Bank and has lived in Mid Sussex for 30 years. He spent most of his career in large corporate commercial banking in the UK and overseas, ultimately assuming responsibility for a number of businesses in the Group. Tony has gained valuable board level experience both within and outside the banking sector. He has a BA in economics from Nottingham and an MA in monetary economics from Durham. Tony is married with two daughters and a son.

 

Skill areas: Business Management, Finance and Client Management

Arthur Merchant

I am delighted and excited to be joining the Board of Raven Housing Trust. The Trust has made very good progress in delivering the promises made to tenants at the time of the transfer of the housing properties from the Council as well as providing high quality services within a sound financial framework. I look forward to playing my part in helping Raven move forward and achieve the aspirations set out in its strategic plan. The current economic situation has implications for all organisations and I hope that my experience in working with housing associations for over 20 years will assist Raven in meeting the challenges ahead.

Skill areas: Financial management