Meet Our Board Members

Hazel Makinson — Parent Board Chair  

Hazel became Chair of the Parent Board and Chair of the DevCo Board in September 2023. She is a highly experienced leader who puts the customer at the heart of strategy and service experience. She has 10 years working in Social Housing, with over 18 years in regulated environments.

Hazel brings a wealth of transformation and change experience that focusses on delivering the best customer and colleague experience. She is passionate about ensuring the strategic direction supports the local community to be aspirational and the organisation manages risk in a highly effective way, with the upmost probity.

Shefali Kapoor — Parent Board Director  

Shefali is a member of the Parent Board, Chair of the People & Places committee and Chair of the Remuneration committee. She is Director of Communities at Manchester City Council (MCC).

Shefali has 17 years’ experience in local government, across a wide range of disciplines including project management, stakeholder and relationship management and working with communities to deliver positive change in places where they live.

Shefali is also Chair of governors at a Manchester primary school and volunteers as a coach as part of the Pankhurst Centre’s Queen Bee Coaching Programme.

 

Councillor Gavin White — Parent Board Director 

Gavin is a Member of the Parent Board and the Audit and Risk Committee. He joined Southway in September 2018.

Gavin is a Labour Councillor for Old Moat, one of Southway's core areas. His engagement with residents has given him an in depth understanding of the local housing and community issues affecting our tenants.

His experience in the charity sector and local government has allowed him to develop skills in governance, scrutiny and policy development. Gavin has lived in the Old Moat area for over 20 years and is active within local groups such as Friends of Old Moat Park, Withington Civic Society and Old Moat Primary School.

Steve Wilson — Parent Board Director

Steve is a Member of the Parent Board and the Southway Plus Board. He is the Treasurer of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and, until July 2022, combined this with the role of the acting Executive Lead – Finance & Investment for Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

Steve has worked in public sector finance for over 25 years having started his career on the NHS Graduate Financial Management Training Scheme in 1996. He is a Director of Transport for Greater Manchester and a Trustee for St Ann’s Hospice.

Steve lives in Manchester with his wife and two teenage children. He is an avid (and regularly disappointed) Derby County fan.

Claire Brown — Parent Board Director

Claire is a member of the Parent Board and the Audit & Risk committee. She has over 18 years of experience in the UK commercially.  Including private consultancy, the public sector, and work in the third sector supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Claire is a Ph.D. Researcher for The University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change. She has published in The Conversation, which offers informed commentary and debate on the issues affecting our world. Claire also has a blog for the Social Policy Association and the University of Manchester's significant publication ‘Building Utopia’, which focuses on what is needed for significant policy change.

She lives and works in Greater Manchester, with her family.

David Hampton — Parent Board Vice-Chair

David is a tenant member of the Parent Board and The People and Places Committee. He Has been a Southway tenant for over 5 Years.

David became a board member because he wanted to use his voice to affect real positive change for his community. His background is in Finance and Performance Management, and he has also worked as a Carer and is part qualified as a Counsellor.

In recent times he has offered voluntary support to those suffering from addiction issues and, for his personal development, he is completing a master’s qualification. David wants to use his experience to help steer Southway’s strategic objectives towards building thriving local communities whilst meeting low carbon objectives and retaining a healthy financial structure.

Dean Owens-Cooper — Parent Board Director  

Dean Owens-Cooper is a member of the Parent Board, with special responsibly for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI). He became a board member to be involved in decisions that affected his community. He is passionate about support organisations and in turn the communities the organisation serves.

Dean is also Co-Chair of the Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion Advisory Group for the British Association of Social Workers. This is a national strategic role advising council on all EDI related matters. He is a highly experienced EDI board level strategic leader.

He is a qualified mediator and has done housing related mediation for many years.  This often has a focus on mental health, ASB, and substance misuse.

 

Faisal Butt — Parent Board Director

Faisal became a Parent Board Director in September 2023. He is also a member of the Remuneration Committee and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.

He joined the Board in September 2023, having previously served as Vice-Chair for a housing association in East London.

Faisal is a Senior Manager working for a registered provider operating at a national level, where he has been a part of the leadership team since 2021. He has substantial experience in public, private and regulatory bodies. He brings significant experience in operational compliance, investment, and audit.

Laura is a member of the Parent Board and also sits on the Boards of Southway Plus and Southway DevCo. She is a Development Manager with almost 20 years experience working in the northwest property sector across public and private sector roles.

She has widespread experience of delivering regeneration programmes through senior positions she has held with Manchester City Council and Stockport MDC and has worked on a number of notable development schemes in Greater Manchester.

Laura has lived in South Manchester for 20 years and is keen to contribute back to her local area through her role with Southway. She is a Member of the RICS where she also acts as an assessor of associate candidates.

Hazel Makinson - Southway DevCo Board Chair

 Hazel became Chair of the Parent Board and Chair of the DevCo Board in September 2023. She is a highly experienced leader who puts the customer at the heart of strategy and service experience. She has 9 years working in Social Housing, with over 18 years in regulated environments.

Hazel brings a wealth of transformation and change experience that focusses on delivering the best customer and colleague experience. She is passionate about ensuring the strategic direction supports the local community to be aspirational and the organisation manages risk in a highly effective way, with the upmost probity.

Gavin White - Southway DevCo Board Director

Gavin is a Member of the Parent Board and the Audit and Risk Committee. He joined Southway in September 2018.

Gavin is a Labour Councillor for Old Moat, one of Southway’s core areas. His engagement with residents has given him an in depth understanding of the local housing and community issues affecting our tenants. 

His experience in the charity sector and local government has allowed him to develop skills in governance, scrutiny and policy development.  Gavin has lived in the Old Moat area for over 20 years and is active with local groups such as Friends of Old Moat Park, Withington Civic Society and Old Moat Primary School.

Steve Wilson - Southway DevCo Board Director

Steve is a Member of the Parent Board and the Southway Plus Board. He is the Treasurer of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and, until July 2022, combined this with the role of the acting Executive Lead – Finance & Investment for Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

Steve has worked in public sector finance for over 25 years having started his career on the NHS Graduate Financial Management Training Scheme in 1996. He is a Director of Transport for Greater Manchester and a Trustee for St Ann’s Hospice.

Steve lives in Manchester with his wife and two teenage children. He is an avid (and regularly disappointed) Derby County fan.

 

Laura is a member of the Parent Board and also sits on the Boards of Southway Plus and Southway DevCo. She is a Development Manager with almost 20 years experience working in the northwest property sector across public and private sector roles.

She has widespread experience of delivering regeneration programmes through senior positions she has held with Manchester City Council and Stockport MDC and has worked on a number of notable development schemes in Greater Manchester.

Laura has lived in South Manchester for 20 years and is keen to contribute back to her local area through her role with Southway. She is a Member of the RICS where she also acts as an assessor of associate candidates.

 David Hampton - Southway DevCo Board Director

David is a tenant member of the Parent Board and The People and Places Committee. He Has been a Southway tenant for over 5 Years.

David became a board member because he wanted to use his voice to affect real positive change for his community. His background is in Finance and Performance Management, and he has also worked as a Carer and is part qualified as a Counsellor.

In recent times he has offered voluntary support to those suffering from addiction issues and, for his personal development, he is completing a master’s qualification. David wants to use his experience to help steer Southway’s strategic objectives towards building thriving local communities whilst meeting low carbon objectives and retaining a healthy financial structure.

Mark Taylor - Southway Plus Board Director (Chair)

Mark is a Member of the Parent Board, the Southway DevCo Board and Southway Plus. He joined Southway in April 2016.

He is a qualified accountant with broad executive and financial experience in the NHS and the private sector. Mark has 25 years experience in residential property having formed his own business in South Manchester delivering new build homes and providing an accommodation solution for young professionals. He brings commercial expertise, along with an understanding of Southway’s neighbourhoods and property issues.

Steve Wilson - Southway Plus Board Director

Steve is a Member of the Parent Board and the Southway Plus Board. He is the Treasurer of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and, until July 2022, combined this with the role of the acting Executive Lead – Finance & Investment for Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

Steve has worked in public sector finance for over 25 years having started his career on the NHS Graduate Financial Management Training Scheme in 1996. He is a Director of Transport for Greater Manchester and a Trustee for St Ann’s Hospice.

Steve lives in Manchester with his wife and two teenage children. He is an avid (and regularly disappointed) Derby County fan.

 

Mark O’Mullane - Southway Plus Board Director

 

Mark is a member of the Southway Plus Board.

He is a chartered surveyor with almost 20 years’ experience in property development and portfolio management.

He brings a wealth of private sector experience having had a successful career in investment management and more recently working for a listed property developer.

Mark is a resident of South Manchester and is passionate about providing housing opportunities to those who need it most.

 

Karen Mitchell - Southway Plus Board Director

Karen has been Chief Executive of Southway since the stock transfer in 2007, and is proud of the progress we have made in improving homes, services and opportunities in our neighbourhoods.

As the head of an independent, community based organisation, Karen believes passionately in our vision, objectives and the Trust’s commitment to our residents and the wider community.

Our ambitious Futures Strategy sets out an exciting future for Southway, and details how we will use the strong financial position we have created to deliver more as a housing provider. Increasing the supply of new homes, profit for purpose initiatives, and innovation in areas where we lead the way - including our work to reduce loneliness amongst older people, as part of our Age Friendly Neighbourhoods Approach, and our Green Strategy, which focuses on maintaining our beautiful green spaces – are just a few examples of how we intend to grow as an organisation and enrich the lives of members of our community.

Matt Roberts - Southway Plus Board Director 

Matt has been Strategic Director of Property and Development since December 2017, and has worked in Social Housing Asset Management for over 25 years, delivering many significant development and improvement programmes throughout his career.

Matt firmly believes in the benefits that investing can have in maximising the social value of our properties and how, in turn, this can positively impact the lives of our residents and the local environment.

As Strategic Director, Matt is keen to build upon our existing development strategy by increasing the supply of new affordable homes and developing new sources of income, all whilst continuing to provide affordable homes and excellent services to those who need them most.

Laura is a member of the Parent Board and also sits on the Boards of Southway Plus and Southway DevCo. She is a Development Manager with almost 20 years experience working in the northwest property sector across public and private sector roles.

She has widespread experience of delivering regeneration programmes through senior positions she has held with Manchester City Council and Stockport MDC and has worked on a number of notable development schemes in Greater Manchester.

Laura has lived in South Manchester for 20 years and is keen to contribute back to her local area through her role with Southway. She is a Member of the RICS where she also acts as an assessor of associate candidates.