Our Governance

Ruth is a successful consultant with a background in strategic planning, performance management, service reviews, project management and business improvement.

She currently works for SUMS Consulting a not-for-profit membership organisation providing expert consultancy to the higher education sector. Prior to this she worked in the housing sector and local government for over 20 years where she helped to deliver improvements in multiple service areas.

Before becoming Chair of the Board, she was the Chair of the Homes and Services Committee and a member of both the Audit & Risk Committee and Remuneration & Nominations Committee.

Judith has over 25 years’ experience working in property-related roles in social housing, local government and most recently in the heritage sector with a role at the Science Museum. This includes a number of Executive Director roles during her nearly 20 years as a senior manager. Alongside her Board role at WPH, Judith is also on the Board of Homes for Lambeth. 

Judith’s breadth of experience gives knowledge of new build housing; building compliance; procurement and contract management; repairs and maintenance and health and safety. 

Mike is an experienced finance and internal audit professional who, prior to retirement, held a number of corporate and policy roles in the Senior Civil Service. 

He now works part-time providing governance seminars for private and public sector organisations. 

Yẹmí is an architect and head of development at Meridian Water, Enfield Council. Yẹmí advocates for education, income & housing equity and broadening access to the built environment. 

Yẹmí is a board member of Women's Pioneer Housing association and the Quality of Life Foundation. In 2020, she was selected as one the UK’s next generation of boundary-pushing designers and innovators by the Architect’s Journal in its 40 under 40 awards. 

Emily is a non-practising qualified barrister specialising in housing, local government, and property. She has been recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners and is author of a number of publications from books to blogs about the legal framework that surrounds social housing.

Since 2016, Emily moved into housing management and has established herself as a talented and innovative senior leader in the social housing sector, speaking regularly at seminars and conferences about the challenges facing the sector. Emily has previous Board experience with Zebra Housing Association, a smaller provider with circa 130 homes in central London. She recently stood down after 4 years as Chair of Zebra and has also held roles as Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, and Vice Chair of the Board. 

Catherine has over twenty years experiencing of working in housing and the voluntary sector supporting people experiencing homelessness and poverty, young people and people living with serious mental illness. 

She is currently the Managing Director of Big Issue Changing Lives CIC, which works to provide opportunities for those affected by poverty to earn, learn and thrive. 

Kemi is a senior leader within the built environment sector with over 18 years’ experience of leading diverse and highly motivated teams to deliver exemplary results at every stage of the development lifecycle. She has led delivery of large-scale mixed-use developments across residential, commercial and hotel schemes. Kemi has worked on projects globally having delivered projects in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. 

Leyla has received an award for over 25 years’ in Health and Beauty, and has experience in leading a team to achieve goals on sales, NHS prescription and private services in the pharmacy team.

She leads recruitment, health and safety, learning and development, risk and compliance audits to ensure Standard Operating Procedures are followed and clinical governance on confidentiality of patients is followed across the department.  

She has been a resident since 2001 and is currently a member of the WPH Homes & Services Committee and Development and Asset Management Committee and is interim joint Chair for the Resident Engagement and Scrutiny Panel. 

Maryam Antonini-Soumaré has been a resident with Women’s pioneer since 2014 and is a member of the Home & Services Committee.  

She has worked in the city for financial institutions in investment banking and her expertise in languages enabled her to translate and communicate working closely with and on behalf of senior managing directors, executive chairs and general managers.  

 In the last few years she has become a voice over artist in French and Italian languages and has worked as a voice over artist for well-known international brands. 

Claire brings over 15 years of strategic, operational and advisory experience in social housing, having held a number of prominent roles in leading London-based and national organisations. Claire currently delivers senior consultancy for public sector and non-profit clients, and is also a Fitness to Practise Screener for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, serves as an independent member on the Met Police’s VAWG (Violence Against Women & Girls) Scrutiny Panel, and is on the Shadow Board of a Domestic Abuse Charity. This supports with bringing subject matter expertise across the housing, VAWG and social sectors. 

Claire has been nominated for, shortlisted and won several awards, including an LPA Commander Recognition Team Award and Top 30 Under 30 Young Leaders for her collaborative and ethical leadership. As well as housing and homelessness, Claire brings her passion for social justice and the safety, advocacy and progression of women and people from marginalised communities. 

Bitesh is a fractional General Counsel with over 20 years’ multi-sector experience in listed, private and not-for-profit organisations. He gives boards clear, practical advice on commercial, corporate and regulatory matters and is known for a collaborative, no-nonsense style. His work strengthening governance and supporting strategic goals fits the regulated context of Women’s Pioneer Housing.