Paragon Board of Directors

The Board of the Paragon Community Housing Group steers and directs the activities of the organisation. Members of the Board are chosen to ensure a broad cross section of skills and experience within the housing sector. Our balanced and widely skilled Board of Management has an integral role in shaping policy, future directions and methods of operation.

John Cudd (Chair) - is a quantity surveyor by profession and has been involved in the provision of providing homes of all tenure types all of his career. Previously board member of a London based RSL for 12 years, John has also been a Director of 3 major plc Construction/House Building companies. John now runs a building/development consultancy providing services to RSLs and developers. His particular areas of expertise are planning and development issues. John joined the Board in 2009.

Christine Pockson (Vice Chair) – is a solicitor and MBA with over 30 years corporate and commercial legal experience in industry. Christine was formerly Senior Legal Adviser to the BOC Group plc, a FTSE 100 company. She also has property and construction law experience and currently acts as legal consultant to an insurance and services company. Christine joined the Board in 2007.

Ebele Akojie - is a qualified accountant and MBA. Ebele has significant board and senior management experience within the housing sector. She has also worked as a Lending Manager for Britannia Building Society and The Housing Finance Corporation. Ebele is currently the Director of Planning & Risk at Moat Housing Group. Key areas of interest include financial planning, treasury, risk management, corporate strategy and governance. Ebele joined the Board in 2009.

Suzanne Joseph - is an experienced human resources professional, a trained business coach and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Suzanne has extensive experience in employee relations, reward and HR policy, gained in the car and finance sectors. She now runs her own HR consultancy and joined the Board in 2007.

Martyn Kingsford TD - is a chartered surveyor and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He was for eighteen years Director of Housing at Kensington and Chelsea and Chief Executive of Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation. He has over 40 years experience of working in the housing field. Martyn has extensive RSL board experience and has, since 1975, chaired three housing associations including being Chair of Richmond Churches. He is Honorary Policy Adviser to TAROE, the national tenant organisation, a member of several National Housing Federation and Communities and Local Government working groups and he is on the Board of Nottingham City Homes (an ALMO). Martyn joined the Board in 2007.

Tracey Lees - is the Chief Executive of Barnet Homes and has spent the last 27 years working in social housing for a number of different social landlords including both housing associations and local authorities. Tracey lives in Teddington and joined Richmond Churches Board in January 2007 to support the Trust in delivering more new homes and good quality services to residents in South West London. Tracey was elected as chair of Richmond Churches Housing Trust Board in Novemeber 2011.

David Edwards - is a chartered surveyor and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He has over 25 years experience as a director working in planning, development and housing. He is Director of Housing and Regeneration at Oxford City Council. He was a director at the Homes and Communities Agency and at English Partnerships. He was Head of Regeneration, Land and Property in the Department for Communities and Local Government. Previously he was in the private sector including working for over ten years at Arup, the international design and development practice. Last year he retired from the group board at East Thames housing association. David was elected as Chair of Elmbridge Housing Trust in November 2011.

Mark Whitehead - has over 15 years of corporate treasury experience. He is currently Group Treasurer of Home Group Limited, where he is also responsible for Insurance and Risk Management, a position he has held for almost 5 years. Prior to Home Group, Mark spent 19 years with Northern Electric plc. 10 of those years were in a treasury capacity, his last position being Treasurer, where he managed £2 billion of debt. Mark is professionally qualified with the Association of Corporate Treasurers. Mark joined the Board in 2009.

Dilip Kavi - Group Chief Executive of Paragon. Dilip has had directorships at several other associations for a period of ten years, and previously held senior roles with the housing regulator. He joined Jaguar plc as a graduate trainee and progressed to an executive role, and after 12 years with Jaguar he then joined Inchcape plc, an international conglomerate, for three years before moving into the housing sector. Dilip is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Master of Business Administration. Dilip joined the Board in 2011.