Executive Management team
Day to day the strategic direction of Torus and its operational activities is run by an experienced and talented Executive Management Team.
Torus Board
The Torus Group Board was appointed in May 2018 and took up their roles on January 1st 2019.
Landlord Operations Committee (LOC)
Comprising of a number of tenant volunteers, working alongside the Board, focusing on customer services and performance.
Steve Coffey, Group CEO
A passionate advocate for high-quality affordable housing in the North West, Steve is responsible for Torus’ overall strategic direction, performance and development.
Before joining Torus, he led LMH from the 2008 stock transfer and spearheaded the creation of a strong, diversified and award-winning housing group with a distinct social purpose during his 10 years as LMH Group Chief Executive. Steve has held a number of senior executive positions within the North West Social Housing sector in a career spanning over 20 years.
Cath Murray-Howard, Chief Operating Officer
With a passion for delivering high quality operational services and improving the living environments of people, Cath will oversee Torus’ Commercial Contracting (HMS), Assets, Housing and Torus Foundation.
Cath has a strong track record of leadership, operational delivery, transformation and cultural development. Before joining Torus, Cath held numerous high-profile positions including Chief Operating Officer at Mersten Group, Director of Strategy and Business Development at The Disabilities Trust and Deputy CEO at Community Integrated Care, a charity focused on older people and people with learning disabilities.
Peter Fieldsend, Chief Financial Officer
Peter oversees Torus’ financial core with a focus on Business Assurance, Finance, Organisational Development, ICT & Transformation and Developments operations.
Previously Executive Director (Resources) at LMH since 2008, he works to ensure the group has the right resources, approach and values to deliver consistent service excellence across all business areas. Peter is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant with significant Finance Director experience across a range of private sector businesses.
Mike Emmerich, Chair
As Chair of the Board, Mike oversees and ensures high standards of governance, and provides appropriate levels of challenge and support to the Executive Team.
Mike is an entrepreneur. He combines senior leadership experience across the public and private sectors with his extensive strategy and economics knowledge. He has applied this to start ups in the private, public, academic, and not-for-profit sectors for over twenty years. He is also an experienced national-level Non-Executive Director in the education, health, heritage, real estate, and culture sectors.
As the Founding Director of Metro Dynamics, a specialised consultancy for local authorities, Mike plays a significant role on many major projects including the devolution deals in the West Midlands and North East which give more local responsibility for housing and infrastructure. He has also spent significant time working with local authorities and combined authorities within the Liverpool and Greater Manchester City Regions.
Christine Fallon, Board member
Christine has worked in Housing for over 30 years, starting out in Developments at a number of large London-based affordable housing providers and later specialising in retirement housing for sale and rent at Housing 21.
After a period of time at the HCA, she set up Affordable Homes Consultancy, which provides specialist development consultancy services to affordable housing providers, local authorities and housing developers. Christine also advises local authorities on developing new homes for rent and sale.
Andrew Gray, Board member
Andrew has 30 years’ experience in the Social Housing sector, working as a consultant to housing organisations across England, Scotland and Wales.
A former Director of RDHS, Managing Director of Consult CIH and President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, he became Managing Director of the North West consultancy Hillcroft Partners in 2009 and Business Development Manager of Fusion21 in April 2017. Andrew specialises in customer insight and has significant experience within housing association boards and committees.
Sarah Jane Saunders, Board member
Sarah Jane has 20 years’ experience in Social Housing, having begun her career as a Graduate Housing Management trainee with Wirral Council, before moving to Regenda Homes, One Vision Housing and a Housing Association in the Republic of Ireland.
She has wide ranging expertise in Housing Management and Regeneration, having worked in roles ranging from Housing Officer, Project Manager and latterly Operational Director – Customers & Neighbourhoods. Sarah Jane has a Postgraduate Diploma in Housing Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Steve Coffey, Board Member
A passionate advocate for high-quality affordable housing in the North West, Steve is responsible for Torus’ overall strategic direction, performance and development.
Before joining Torus, he led LMH from the 2008 stock transfer and spearheaded the creation of a strong, diversified and award-winning housing group with a distinct social purpose during his 10 years as LMH Group Chief Executive. Steve has held a number of senior executive positions within the North West Social Housing sector in a career spanning over 20 years.
Cath Murray-Howard, Board Member
With a passion for delivering high quality operational services and improving the living environments of people, Cath will oversee Torus’ Commercial Contracting (HMS), Assets, Housing and Torus Foundation.
Cath has a strong track record of leadership, operational delivery, transformation and cultural development. Before joining Torus, Cath held numerous high-profile positions including Chief Operating Officer at Mersten Group, Director of Strategy and Business Development at The Disabilities Trust and Deputy CEO at Community Integrated Care, a charity focused on older people and people with learning disabilities.
Peter Fieldsend, Board Member
Peter oversees Torus’ financial core with a focus on Business Assurance, Finance, Organisational Development, ICT & Transformation and Developments operations.
Previously Executive Director (Resources) at LMH since 2008, he works to ensure the group has the right resources, approach and values to deliver consistent service excellence across all business areas. Peter is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant with significant Finance Director experience across a range of private sector businesses.
Waqas Butt, Board Member
Waqas Butt is a KPMG-trained Fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). He attained a first-class Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a distinction from Warwick Business School. Waqas has held senior executive positions leading finance and commercial teams across several multinational private and public consumer-facing businesses. He was awarded the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) “step change” improvement award for transforming the Co-op Group's indirect procurement supply chain.
Lisa Greenhalgh, Board Member
Lisa is a qualified management accountant who has worked in industry for 30 years within large corporate and SME businesses in both the UK and Northern Europe and more recently spent 15 years running a regional loan and equity investment fund.
Currently working with a number of clients as portfolio Finance Director/Non-executive Director supporting both international and local SME businesses.
Lisa is also a member of the credit committee of Innovate UK Loans Limited, is a mentor on the Help to Grow Scheme and is due to retire from Edge Hill University after 10 years as Vice Chair of Governors, Chair of Audit, Chair of Remuneration and a member of the Nominations committees.
Zamila Bunglawala Skingsley, Board Member
Zamila Bunglawala Skingsley is a successful former Cabinet Office Director with extensive UK and global experience leading policy, strategy, trade/commercial portfolios including £25BN education portfolio, large transformation projects and EDI.
Zamila now holds a portfolio of Non-Executive Director/Advisor roles with leading organisations including UNICEF, Lord Jeremy Heywood Foundation, Department for Transport, TORUS Foundation, Julia Gillard’s Global Institute for Women Leaders at King’s College London and is Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics. Former boards include US-UK Fulbright Commission, UNESCO and Concern Worldwide, and Fellowships at the Brookings Institute and University of Manchester.
Zamila was formerly International Director at the Department for Education leading the £25BN trade portfolio, Erasmus/Turing programmes, partnering with universities and governments including in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Zamila was Deputy Head of the No.10/Cabinet Office Race Disparity Audit where she was the founding architect of the world-leading Ethnicity Facts and Figures website, a transformational data project tackling ethnic disparities. Zamila has world for the United Nations in conflict countries in Darfur Sudan and Kathmandu Nepal.
Mark Bousfield, Board Member
Mark is a regeneration and investment professional. He is Sector Lead - Cities and Government for Aviva Capital Partners which invests in housing, regeneration and sustainable infrastructure. Prior to this, he was a strategic director at Liverpool City Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, director at igloo Regeneration and a banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He has almost 20 years' experience of investing to achieve financial, environmental and social returns.
Natasha Johnson, Board Member
Practicing barrister at 7 Harrington Street Chambers with a specialism in family law. With 10 years experience, my practice involves representing Local Authorities, parents and children in both public and private law and have acted in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. I have a particular interest in cases involving domestic abuse, non accidental injuries, forced marriage and also cases with an international element.Before qualifying as a barrister I worked in a local firm of solicitors for a number of years.
A University of Liverpool graduate in 2013, I was called to the bar of England and Wales in 2014 after a successful completion of the bar professional training course in 2014.
I have a personal interest in enriching our young peoples lives and encouraging them to reach their full potential, for me, this starts with their home environment and their local communities.
Landlord Operations Committee (LOC)
The Landlord Operations Committee (LOC) comprises of a number of tenant volunteers, working alongside the Torus Board, focusing on customer service standards and performance.
Andrew Gray, Chair
Andrew has 30 years’ experience in the Social Housing sector, working as a consultant to housing organisations across England, Scotland and Wales.
A former Director of RDHS, Managing Director of Consult CIH and President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, he became Managing Director of the North West consultancy Hillcroft Partners in 2009 and Business Development Manager of Fusion21 in April 2017. Andrew specialises in customer insight and has significant experience within housing association boards and committees.
Teri Wilson, LOC Member
Teri’s has over 25 years’ experience in IT and Social Care. With LMH she has been on the Board, an active member of the scrutiny panel, a committee member on the Social Landlords Operations Committee. With her first-hand knowledge, enthusiasm and input, Teri wants to contribute to making a positive difference to communities and housing.
Pam Woodward, LOC Member
Pam’s working life was in retail and with the public. She is still involved with her local community centre. She has been actively involved for over 10 years with Helena and Torus with the Scrutiny Panel, Community Consultative Forum and Community Fund Panel.
Pam believes that tenants voice is important and wants to ensure Torus is doing what is in its tenants’ best interests.
Sarah Jane Saunders, LOC Member
Sarah Jane has 20 years’ experience in Social Housing, having begun her career as a Graduate Housing Management trainee with Wirral Council, before moving to Regenda Homes, One Vision Housing and a Housing Association in the Republic of Ireland.
She has wide ranging expertise in Housing Management and Regeneration, having worked in roles ranging from Housing Officer, Project Manager and latterly Operational Director – Customers & Neighbourhoods. Sarah Jane has a Postgraduate Diploma in Housing Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Cath Murray-Howard, LOC Member
With a passion for delivering high quality operational services and improving the living environments of people, Cath will oversee Torus’ Commercial Contracting (HMS), Assets, Housing and Torus Foundation.
Cath has a strong track record of leadership, operational delivery, transformation and cultural development. Before joining Torus, Cath held numerous high-profile positions including Chief Operating Officer at Mersten Group, Director of Strategy and Business Development at The Disabilities Trust and Deputy CEO at Community Integrated Care, a charity focused on older people and people with learning disabilities.
James Heneghan, LOC Member
My current role on the Torus Landlord Operations Committee (LOC), includes working alongside the service leads and directors to oversee operational matters with a focus on local customer service standards and wide-ranging performance matters. We consider and act on recommendations from customer scrutiny, focussing on quality outcomes.
As a Diversity and Inclusion Panel member, I work with the group to receive reports on how Torus provides services which meet the diverse needs of tenants, review, and challenge how these services are responding to diverse needs making recommendations for improvement. We have recently reviewed the Torus website and provided recommendation on including Reach Deck. I am also working with the group to look at ways to improve entry to communal areas and ramp and mobility issues as well as reviewing how we can assist tenants with mental health, impairment and neuro learning difficulties and any other subjects and policies of concern excluding any and all tenants from a proper quality of life and tenancy.
My role with the Community Investment Panel, which is part of Torus’ charitable arm, known as the Torus Foundation, is to review application eligibility and authorise the funding that meet the set criteria. This can be either fully, partially, or a need further information before a decision can be made.
Before becoming a LOC member, I was a part of the Torus Scrutiny Panel where I contributed to reviewing, scrutinising, and reporting on Torus’ performance.
David Higgins, LOC Member
David worked in the Quarry Industry for forty three years. Starting at the bottom and finishing as a Operations Manager. He joined Tenant Voice and have been involved with the Scrutiny and Grant Panels before joining LOC.
Natasha Johnson, LOC Member
Practicing barrister at 7 Harrington Street Chambers with a specialism in family law. With 10 years experience, my practice involves representing Local Authorities, parents and children in both public and private law and have acted in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. I have a particular interest in cases involving domestic abuse, non accidental injuries, forced marriage and also cases with an international element.Before qualifying as a barrister I worked in a local firm of solicitors for a number of years.
A University of Liverpool graduate in 2013, I was called to the bar of England and Wales in 2014 after a successful completion of the bar professional training course in 2014.
I have a personal interest in enriching our young peoples lives and encouraging them to reach their full potential, for me, this starts with their home environment and their local communities.
Rob Humphries, LOC Member
Rob is a Leaseholder who sits on the Landlord Operations Committee.
Cllr Trish Long, LOC Member
Information to follow.
Cllr Una Gillam, LOC Member
Information to follow.