Meet The Board

Jack became Chair of the Board of First Affordable in October 2025 and is a Scottish Chartered Accountant with a master’s degree in economics and over 30 years of experience in banking and social housing. He began his social housing career in 1994 as CFO and Deputy CEO of Thames Valley Housing Group, helping expand the organization significantly. Jack led key projects like the Woking PFI (in partnership with Kier Group) and developed Fizzy Living, a build-to-rent business backed by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund.

 

Before social housing, Jack spent a decade in UK banking, including as CFO of McDonnell Douglas, where he co-founded a bank that achieved over £1 billion in loans. Since retiring in 2015, Jack has served on the boards of various Registered Providers (RPs) and chaired audit and risk committees. He currently holds several Non-Executive Director roles and chairs a furniture recycling charity. He was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 for his contributions to the housing sector.

Chris joined the Board of First Affordable in August 2025.  Chris brings a wealth of experience in housing policy and economics.  Among his roles as a former civil servant in the Government Economic Service (GES), he was a Senior Economic Adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) where he led the department’s affordable housing analysis.  He also spent two years at the think tank Policy Exchange where he headed their Housing, Planning and Urban Development policy unit.

 

For the last 10 years, Chris has worked in independent economic consultancy.  He is a serving Director at consultancy firm ChamberlainWalker Economics, which specialises in housing, infrastructure and local growth.

Susanne is an experienced senior leader with a wealth of expertise in the housing sector. Since 2021, she has served as a Non-Executive Director of First Affordable Limited. Her previous roles include Director of Integration at Southern Housing Group, where she led group-wide business transformation initiatives, and Managing Director of Triathlon Homes.

 

Susanne has also held key leadership positions as Community Development and Engagement Lead for Windsor Housing, Director of Affinity Reading Limited (Housing PFI), and Director of Windsor Housing, where she was involved in estate regeneration and community engagement projects.

Elliot is an Executive Director at First Affordable and the Founder and Managing Director of First Base, a leading specialist in mixed-use regeneration. With over 20 years of experience, Elliot has been instrumental in delivering large, complex, multi-phased projects across London and the South East, including notable schemes such as Stratford City, Elephant & Castle, and Earls Court, resulting in over 3,000 homes and workspaces.

 

Elliot is renowned for his innovative approach to urban development, having earned a reputation for creating award-winning places that offer substantial, long-lasting socio-economic benefits to communities. He has introduced pioneering construction methods that enhance efficiency and quality, and has successfully developed public-private partnerships by collaborating with central, regional, and local government agencies on high-profile projects.

Nicola is an Executive Director of First Affordable and Lead for Consumer Standards.  She is a seasoned Housing Manager with extensive expertise in housing management and maintenance across local authorities, housing associations, and the private sector.  A certified member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, she has also served as Head of Asset Management for First Base Limited since 2007, playing a pivotal role in the establishment of First Affordable.