Meet the Team

Meet our People

Learn more about the people driving Aspire Housing forward, across all levels of leadership.

Our Executive team

Our Board of Directors

Our Audit and Risk Committee

Our Senior Management team

Sinéad Butters

Dan Gray

Andrei Szatkowski

Andrew Palmer

Sinéad Butters MBE

Chief Executive

Sinéad has been leading Aspire Housing as Chief Executive since 2006.

Sinéad grew up in Staffordshire, and studied at Keele University, where she was honoured as one of its founding fellows in recognition of her achievements and Aspire’s dedication to supporting North Staffordshire communities.

In addition to her role at Aspire, Sinéad is Chair of Black Country Housing Group and a Non-Executive Director at Goram Homes. She also served as Chair of the national housing network, PlaceShapers, for five years.

Sinéad has been recognised with an MBE for her services to housing, as well as two honorary doctorates for her commitment to supporting communities. She continues to be a strong voice for change, championing community-based solutions to the housing crisis.

Dan Gray

Executive Director of Place

Dan is an experienced property professional who has been part of Aspire Housing since 2005.

He leads the Development and Home Ownership Sales, Strategic Asset Management, Landlord Compliance Services, Repairs and Maintenance, Sustainability, Facilities, and Health & Safety teams.

Before joining Aspire Housing, Dan worked on regeneration programmes for a Local Authority and spent several years in the United States developing town centre regeneration schemes. His passion lies in revitalising the neighbourhoods and communities Aspire Housing serves, and he finds motivation in seeing the positive difference this makes to the lives of our customers.

As Aspire Housing’s Health and Safety Lead, Dan is dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of our teams, customers, and the communities we support.

Andrei Szatkowski

Executive Director of People

Andrei has been working within local authorities and housing associations across the North West for more than 30 years, with experience at board, executive and senior leadership levels.

Andrei joined Aspire Housing in July 2018 and leads Neighbourhoods, Customer Services, Information Technology, Customer Voice, Communications, and People Services. He is passionate about putting People First, ensuring our customers have a strong voice in shaping service delivery and receive the best possible support.

As Aspire Housing’s Consumer Standard Lead, Andrei is dedicated to driving excellence and making a meaningful difference to the lives of our customers.

Andrei is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit at Blackpool Coastal Homes, and a Non-Executive Board Member at Weaver Vale Housing Trust.

Andrew Palmer

Executive Director of Finance

Andrew was appointed as Executive Director of Finance in 2023, having first joined Aspire Housing in 2021 as Director of Financial Services.

With over 18 years of senior management experience in the housing sector, Andrew has a clear understanding of the challenges we face and brings enthusiasm and creativity to the team. He has a proven track record of driving business transformation and modernising processes.

As Aspire Housing’s lead for Finance, Governance, and Risk, Andrew plays a crucial role in ensuring the organisation’s financial health and strategic direction.

A fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Andrew is also a non-executive independent member of the Audit and Risk Committee for Rooftop Housing Group.

Outside of work, Andrew enjoys walking his dog, spending time with his wife and daughter, and socialising with friends.

Sinéad Butters

Aman Dalvi

Liz Barnes

David Hunter

David Woodward

Amanda Palmer

Pat Baker

Jane Atherton

Paul Northcott

Phil Elvy

Sinéad Butters MBE

Chief Executive

Aman Dalvi

Aspire Housing Chair

Aman Dalvi has worked in senior positions for many years, including as Chief Executive of three different organisations where he has led multi-disciplinary teams.

Aman has extensive experience in Planning and Regeneration, and in his career, was the Executive Director of Development & Renewal in a major London Local Authority. Aman was also a ministerial appointment on the boards of English Partnerships and the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

He has served as Chair of the Anchor Trust and a number of other Registered Providers. Aman also advised a major Real Estate Company in London on Housing and Planning matters.

In 2000, Aman Dalvi received an OBE for services to housing.

Liz Barnes

Aspire Housing Vice Chair

Liz joined the organisation in September 2021. At that time she was completing her office as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at Staffordshire University where she served for 6 years completing 35 years in Higher Education.

Liz grew up near Stafford, attended college in Stoke-on-Trent and her first teaching job was at Longton High School in 1983.

Liz was awarded a CBE in 2019 for her services to Higher Education and became a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire in 2020.

David Hunter

Nominations and Remuneration Committee Chair

David is a retired Chartered Accountant, having spent over 37 years in practice gaining wide experience of accounting for and auditing of social housing providers and credit unions with a firm specialising in providing audit and financial consultancy services to the not-for-profit and charity sectors.

He has particular interests in risk management and governance in regulated sectors and has previously been Vice-Chairman of a local stock transfer housing association.

David Woodward

Audit Committee Chair

David is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant. He has held a number of senior financial positions with organisations based in the Midlands, including Express Dairies plc. He was Finance Director of train operator Midland Mainline and coach operator National Express. His executive experience has been in large customer focused organisations and has seen the successful delivery of strategy development and execution, turnarounds, business transformations, cost re-engineering, acquisitions, disposals and major projects.

He has previously been a Non-Executive Director at the Hinckley & Rugby Building Society where he was Vice Chairman, Senior Independent Director and chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee. Additionally, he has held a Non-Executive Directorship with Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust where he chaired the Audit Committee and completed a short interim term as a Non-Executive Director with United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust as Chair of the Finance, Performance and Estates Committee.

Currently, he is a Non-Executive Director with National Savings and Investments and chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. He is a Trustee with the charity Consumers’ Association trading as Which? where he chairs the Strategic Finance Committee and is a member of the Group Audit and Risk Committee. Also, he is also an Independent Committee Member of Trent College’s Finance and Estates Committee.

Amanda Palmer

Customer Board Member

Amanda is a Business Development Manager working with a company that specialises in supporting all manufacturing industries with the procurement and supply of automation and control components. Prior to this she was a senior engineer in the telecoms industry. Amanda has been an Involved Customer at Aspire for four years and played a part in securing the TPAS accreditation.

Working also as a Customer Assessor she has been involved in projects to shape the services around our void properties, green spaces, and communal areas to name a few. Amanda is also a member of OASIS, a group of customers who monitor Aspires commitment to the Promises that it makes and who ensures that the customer voice is heard.

Amanda is also involved within the scouting movement and has been a Cub Leader for the past 11 years.

Pat Baker

Board Member

Pat has worked in housing management and development for over 40 years. She established her own housing consultancy company in 2004 and has worked on a wide range of housing management and development projects across the country, ranging from large scale regeneration projects, shopping centre redevelopment, development of Extra Care schemes, housing strategy development, restructuring and change management.

Originally working for Derby City council for 12 years, Pat then moved to South Yorkshire Housing Association as Housing Services Director and then became Development Director, again for South Yorkshire Housing Association. Pat was also Head of Development at Castle Vale Housing Action Trust, Keynote Housing Group and Midland Heart.

Pat has previously been a board member of Ashram Housing Association and was Chair of York Housing Association.

Pat has a BA(Hons) in English and a the CIH professional qualification in housing.

Jane Atherton

Board Member

Jane Atherton brings over 30 years’ experience of working at a senior level within the social housing sector.

Jane Atherton runs her own HR consultancy practice supporting organisations to be great places to work. Prior to this, Jane was the Group Director of People and Risk at the New Charter Group in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester and Chair of Ashton Pioneer Homes.

Jane was appointed as the Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) at Aspire in April 2024. The role of the MRC is to champion a positive complaint handling culture and build effective relationships with complaints teams, residents, its audit and risk committees as well as wider teams and the Housing Ombudsman Service.

Paul Northcott

Board Member

Paul is the Staffordshire County Councillor, representing the Newcastle Rural division. He is also the newly appointed CCSM (Community Cabinet Support Member) for Newcastle-under-Lyme and is the Vice-Chairman of the Council’s Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee and Audit and Standards member.

Paul sits on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council where he serves as councillor for the Loggerheads ward. He is the Cabinet member and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth covering Development Control, Planning Policy and Local Plan, Planning Enforcement, Land Charges, Operational and Commercial Property Management, Strategic Transport, Economic Development (Operational), and Facilities Management. He has a keen interest in local housing provision.

Paul’s 40 years of experience professionally has been in Mental Health, Social care, the Home Office and Civil service, management of hospital services experience and he now devotes time to the Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychology service arena in a consultancy/practitioner capacity for the private sector part time. He is also a post graduate and services trainer.

Phil Elvy

Board Member

Phil is a financial strategist focused on delivering sustainable housing solutions for Aspire Housing.

David Woodward

Joanne Kennedy-Reardon

Pat Baker

Phil Elvy

David Woodward

Audit Committee Chair

Joanne Kennedy-Reardon

Independent Director

Joanne is a Chartered Director who gained a breadth of experience with the alternative energy and clean tech sectors over the last two decades and is a positive changemaker in both fighting against global warming and supporting the restoration of our degraded ecosystems.

Whilst her early career was spent in financial roles in the traditional manufacturing and engineering sectors; social responsibility, sustainability of resources and the impact of business activity on the environment and individuals within society are at the core of the businesses that she has supported. Joanne is currently involved in a Non-Executive capacity with several not-for-profit organisations and is Chair at the British Taekwondo Council.

Joanne’s professional activities are further underpinned by her other professional Fellowships gained with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Chartered Management Institute.