Our Board
Our board oversees the activities of Town & Country Housing and makes sure we work in the best interests of our customers.
As well as having extensive experience of social housing, our members also bring skills and knowledge from a range of other sectors.
We have a resident board member and together with regular reporting from the Resident Scrutiny Panel, the TCH Board members are assured that the resident voice is reflected across all areas of our work.
Together, the board ensures we’re working to the highest standards of governance, accountability and integrity.
Meet our board members
Martyn Burke - Chair
Martyn is an experienced Non-Executive Director and Audit & Risk Committee Chair operating in organisations with a strong social purpose. He is a qualified accountant with strong commercial acumen who has worked in finance since 1986.
In 2005, he joined the grocery giant Sainsbury’s where he held Director and Governance roles between 2009 – 2019. His flair for collaborative strategic leadership has meant he has consistently overseen improved performance outcomes be it to drive financial results, improve risk management, drive customer service or enhance colleague potential.
Martyn joined the TCH Board in October 2020 and was appointed Chair in September 2023, and he also is a member of the Peabody group Audit & Risk committee. As well as this, Martyn currently serves as a Non-Executive Board Director and Audit Chair in both an NHS community trust and at the Office of Public Guardian in the Ministry of Justice.
Iain McPherson
Iain has over 25 years’ experience in the Housing Sector, originally working for government bodies in both investment and regulatory roles, overseeing Housing Associations.
Iain later moved to Hyde Housing Association where he led the development programme across London before moving to Crest Nicholson and was Managing Director of their Southern region.
Iain moved to Countryside Properties plc to support on their expansion and return to the London Stock Exchange, and was appointed Group Chief Executive in January 2020 and as a member of the Board. He left Countryside in January 2022. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Sage Homes in October 2022.
Gaylene Kendall
Gaylene has held a number of senior finance leadership roles including Head of Treasury at British Airways plc, Group Tax and Treasury Director at Kingfisher plc and Group Corporate Finance Director at Centrica plc.
Gaylene is also a Trustee for the children's charity, Dreamflight, and has a passion for organisations which deliver social value.
Gaylene joined the TCH Board in 2017 and is a member of the TCH Audit and Risk Committee and the Peabody Finance and Treasury Committee.
Nigel Perryman
Nigel joined the TCH Board in April 2023, transferring from the Rosebery Board, and is a member of Peabody’s Thamesmead Committee.
A qualified accountant by background, Nigel has worked in the social housing sector for over 20 years, within three housing associations and with The Housing Finance Corporation (the not for profit lender to the sector).
Nigel has been responsible for lending around £2bn to the sector primarily through the Capital Markets and the European Investment Bank. His diverse experience has given him exposure to Traditional, Care, LSVT and ALMO associations. Prior to the social housing sector, he worked in two commercial property development companies, primarily raising bank finance and managing joint ventures.
Aaron Osborne-Taylor
Aaron joined the Board in September 2021.
A Chartered Manager, Chartered Banker, and MBA qualified, Aaron has worked as an independent transformation consultant primarily with local government for over 10 years. He has previously served on the boards of a Housing Association in Wales and a council-owned housing maintenance company in London, a governing member for a large not-for-profit utility, and a Welsh Government Ministerial appointment to a Community Health Council.
Aaron is a lay member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee which appoints Magistrates, a lecturer for Wrexham Glyndwr University’s MBA and MPA programmes, and Chair of the Menai Bridges Heritage Trust and Museum.
Lindsay Todd
Lindsay joined the board of TCH in April 2023 on the transfer of engagements from Peabody Group member Rosebery Housing Association to TCH.
He is a member of TCH’s development committee and Monson Homes Ltd board, and sits on the Peabody development committee and asset management committee. He is a former chair of Rosebery’s investment committee.
Lindsay has been involved in the affordable housing sector continuously since 1980. He has held senior and executive positions in development and housing operations for medium size and large housing associations, as well as having served over 17 years until his retirement as chief executive of Hampshire based Radian Group (now Abri).
He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Christine Turner
Christine joined the Board as Deputy Chair in April 2023 following the merger with Rosebery Housing where she was Chair from 2018. She is a member of Peabody's Communities Board and Chair of TCH Governance and Remuneration Committee.
With over 40 years’ experience in social housing as a senior executive, board member and regulator, Christine’s expertise encompasses governance, development, low cost home ownership, regeneration and customer involvement. She is particularly interested in the provision of housing to meet a wide range of needs and which support social regeneration. She has championed customer involvement and standards of service delivery.
Christine is also Chair of Magna Housing which operates in the South West and Chair of Placeshapers Chairs Group.
Valerie Marshall
Valerie’s background is in Private Equity investment with 3i and the Scottish Development Agency and corporate finance. She recently retired as Chief Executive of Stratagem Corporate Finance and Strategy Ltd.
Past roles include being a non-executive director of Baronsmead Venture Trust plc, Fusion Lifestyle Ltd and Treasurer of the British Science Association. Other previous appointments include Chair of the Council of the University of Kent and Deputy Chair of the Committee of University Chairs.
She joined the TCH Board in 2017 and chairs the TCH Audit and Risk Committee. She has served for the last 3 years as Vice-Chair of TCH and sits on both TCH’s and Peabody’s Audit and Risk Committees
Melanie Forrester
Melanie has been a shared ownership resident since 2016 and has lived in Tunbridge Wells since 2004 and therefore brings her local knowledge and shared ownership experience to the Board.
She has had a varied career in HR, Learning & Development and more recently the education sector.
Melanie is a tenant Board member and joined the Board in June 2018, she is also a Member of TCH’s Customer Services Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
She is particularly interested in the provision of shared ownership housing for local people.
Paul Wenham
Paul has over 30 years of housing and technical experience at senior level within the public and private sector and most recently as Group Property Director.
Since 2008 Paul has worked for Southern Housing Group and Salvation Army Housing Association where he held Director roles for Asset Investment and Group Property, Maintenance & Investment. Amongst many other achievements, Paul formed the G15 Asset Management Directors Group, Chaired the NHF Maintenance Forum and Executive Committees.
Paul is a Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Builder and joined the TCH Board in October 2020 and joined the CWR Board in December 2020. He became Chair of TCHR in November 2022.
Susan Martin
Susan has a background in business transformation gained in a variety of industries.
In 2019 she stepped down as Chief Executive of Local Pensions Partnership Ltd. Her experience in housing includes leading housing management and corporate services at High Weald Housing and investing in student and private rented housing throughout the UK.
She is also on the Board of LGPS Central Ltd a £30bn asset manager where she is Chair of the People, Culture and Remuneration Committee Senior Independent Director.
Susan is an experienced coach and mentor. She is also the chair of the Customer Services Committee