Commercial Subsidiaries

Alan Hawkesworth

Alan is a qualified accountant and has spent most of his working life in Shropshire and the West Midlands, working for local authorities, national and regional building societies and in higher education at Aston University. He has operational and strategic experience in accounting, finance, development, people, investment, insurance and audit services and how these apply in a variety of industries and regulated bodies.  

Alan has previously lived in social housing and has close family members who are current tenants of various housing associations. He knows the importance of having a quality home and a considerate landlord and is therefore passionate about improving the provision of housing for people living in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Telford and Wrekin.  

Due to the extensive nature of his career, Alan brings a wealth of experience to the Group Common Board having served on the boards of housing associations almost continuously over the last 25 years.   

Alan Hawkesworth joined the Group in June 2020.

Alan Yates

Alan has extensive senior management experience in the affordable housing sector with a focus on development and regeneration. His original background was in the construction industry, before joining the affordable housing sector and taking on a lead role in the development of new homes. As an experienced Executive Director and Deputy Chief Executive, he developed an excellent knowledge of managing a housing association in a regulated environment and developed skills in PR and communications and change management.

Alan is passionate about building great homes and communities. He believes you can only achieve this if you have a well-run organisation with clear objectives, coupled with the talent, resources, energy and enthusiasm to meet those objectives.

Alan has served on the boards of Redditch Co-operative Homes, a regional NHS Trust and other not-for-profit organisations. He was also a tenant for several years and therefore knows what it is like to be a customer and how to work with a landlord to improve their services. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE for his services to housing.

Alan Yates joined the Group in April 2021.

Rosalind Preen

Rosalind brings a wealth of experience, having worked in the public care sector for more than 30 years. She has worked across all sectors of health including community, mental health and acute care. 

Rosalind believes in equal chances and choices for all, especially when accessing services that support our health and wellbeing. 

Rosalind is a qualified accountant and has many years of experience sitting on Boards within the NHS, using her financial skills to advise and support decision making. 

Rosalind Preen joined the Group in November 2022.

Suzanne Forster

Suzanne Forster joined the Group as Chief Financial Officer following her tenure at Excolo Housing Consultancy. She brings extensive executive experience from senior roles across both large housing associations and private sector organisations. Suzanne leads the Group’s strategic and operational functions in Finance, Treasury, Audit, Risk & Assurance, Legal & Governance, and Procurement. Her appointment reflects the Group’s commitment to strong financial stewardship and robust governance as it continues to grow and invest in its future.

Suzanne is the Group’s Company Secretary.