Exit site

Our board

Meet our board

So you think boards are boring? Think again!  

Our board members come from all different walks of life, not just from social housing.  That’s what we love about them. They help us see the bigger picture and look at things from a different point of view. 

They set our corporate strategy, form policy, oversee our activities, and make sure we’re complying with all our legal and regulatory obligations. They challenge us to go onwards and upwards and be the best we can be for our customers, our colleagues and our communities.  

In a nutshell, it’s their job to make sure we’re working to the highest standards of governance, accountability and integrity.   

Find out more about how we’re governed and how we’re performing. 

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Ingrid Fife

Chair

Ingrid’s got loads of experience as a board member and chairperson. She’s got a strong commercial background and has been a non-executive on boards in the housing and health sectors. She currently sits on the board of Riverside Housing and One Housing Group. Before this she was chair for Halton Housing and vice chair for Regenda Homes.   

Ingrid’s also a member of our Governance and People committee.

Woman in casual outdoor clothing and sunglasses smiling at camera

Ingrid Fife

Chair

If you could choose anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest and why?

I’d invite the actor Stephen Fry. He’s clever, funny and would be full of interesting conversation.

What’s the best bit of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be smart – don’t fight every battle. Pick the key ones.

What’s your most treasured memory?

Skiing all the way down a Mont Blanc glacier with my family.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

KFC – but only the drumsticks.

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Lisa Bradley

Lisa got over 30 years’ experience in finance in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. She was chief financial officer at Look Ahead Care, Support and Housing. She’s also an associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. 

She’s chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee at Arches Housing and treasurer of Inspire North, a Yorkshire-based supported housing provider. Lisa's a member of the Audit and Risk committee and the Yorkshire Housing Finance Plc Board. 

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Isabel Hunt

Isabel has 21 years’ executive level experience in service design, digital transformation and customer-facing roles in the public and private sectors. She’s currently executive director for innovation and insight at the National Heritage Lottery Fund and a board trustee of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). 

Isabel is also a member of our Homes and Places committee and YH Residential Board.

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Leann Hearne

Leann’s background is in growing, developing and leading businesses. She started her career in engineering and went on to become managing director of an international manufacturing business in 2000. She’s held a few non-executive roles in the housing sector, and is now chief executive of Livv Housing Group.   

Supporting ambition, nurturing aspirations and creating opportunities are the focus of the work she does with businesses and communities. She’s a trustee for the Shakespeare North Playhouse and a board member at Northern Housing Consortium, where she’s chair of the commercial committee.    

Leann’s also vice chair and chair of our Homes and Places committee. 

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Leann Hearne

If you could choose anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest and why?

Jonny Wilkinson.  I’m a huge rugby union fan and his approach to sport, leadership and overcoming adversity is something really special that I’d like to hear more about.  I’d also want to thank him for his awesome drop goal that won England the Rugby World Cup in 2003!

What was your first job?

I was a cloakroom attendant at a posh hotel that hosted dinner dances. I earned more in tips than the waitresses did in wages. I think I was on to a good thing! 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’m a baker. And I bake very early in the morning, always making extra cake mixture. I rarely eat the cake, but I always eat the extra cake mixture!

What’s your most treasured memory?

My husband proposing in the bar of a posh hotel a week after our first date. We went on to get married and that was almost 30 years ago!

Web Graphic Missing Profile

Matthew Blake

Matt is a Chartered Management Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience in a variety of treasury, accounting and analytical roles in the UK’s non-bank mortgage market.  He was previously director of treasury for Together Financial Services and is currently treasurer at Pepper Money.   

Matt's Chair of Yorkshire Housing's Board and a member of the Growth and Investment Committee.

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Jacqueline Esimaje-Heath

Jacqui is an architecturally-trained real estate director who’s worked in the private and public sectors. She’s currently a regional development director at the charitable housing association  L & Q. During her career she’s been responsible for residential property development, housing and management consultancy, regeneration, private sector renewal and residential sales and marketing.   

She’s an experienced non-exec director, with over 20 years’ experience in providing strategic leadership in the not-for-profit sector. She’s also mentored people at both non-exec and operational levels.   

Jacqui is also Chair of the Growth and Investment Committee.

Man smiling at camera in office environment

Russell Galley

As Halifax Bank’s managing director Russell leads a team of 12,500 people that look after over 16 million customers. He’s got loads of experience in using digital technology to improve customer service and knows the ins and outs of working in a complex regulatory environment. He also leads on broader distribution strategy for Lloyds Banking Group, the largest banking provider in the UK.  

Russell’s an active supporter of the banking industry’s ‘Access to Cash’ initiatives. He’s passionate about making sure society’s most vulnerable people can get access to cash and banking services. 

He’s also chair of our Audit and Risk committee.

Man smiling at camera in office environment

Russell Galley

What job would you be doing now if you’d followed your childhood dreams?

I wanted to be a rally car driver. I almost got there when I finally bought a signal yellow mark 2 Ford Escort Mexico.

If you could choose anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest and why?

I’d have to invite three people to my dinner party. The Queen (what an incredible leader), Elon Musk (what a radical), and Ed Sheeran (what a talent).  

If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something overnight, what would it be?

Plumbing! Then I could get on with the job myself instead of having to call a plumber and sit around waiting for them to turn up!

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Don’t worry about or spend time on things you can’t control.

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Ellie Stead

Ellie’s had a successful career in financial services, cards and payments. And she’s worked for lots of well-known names including Global Payments, GE Capital and Yorkshire Bank.   

She has run Yorkshire Air Museum, a registered charity and key heritage attraction near York, and is now chief executive for St. Nicks, an environmental charity known as the ‘Green Heart of York’ that has sustainable living at the core of its many different activities. 

Ellie is chair of our Governance and People committee and a member of our Audit and Risk committee.

Woman smiling at camera in office environment

Ellie Stead

What’s your guilty pleasure? 

I’m slightly ashamed to admit this, but it’s spam. There’s always a tin in my cupboard. I can’t even say it was truly a childhood thing, although spam fritters are in my memory somewhere. Sorry to all my vegan and vegetarian friends, but well cooked with baked beans and some HP sauce, it’s just the naughtiest treat!

What was your first job? 

My mum and dad bought a greengrocer’s shop in Pudsey when I was about 10, and I worked there every Saturday. As well as all the standard fruit and veg, we also sold wet fish so I learned how to skin a piece of haddock at a fairly young age! 

What’s the best bit of advice you’ve ever been given? 

Be yourself. You can’t really truly be anyone else, but nowadays it’s easy to wear a mask and not bring your authentic self to work (or life) every single day. When you finally do, it’s incredibly liberating. 

Which Yorkshire born and bred person do you admire most and why?

The actor Sir Patrick Stewart. He manages to combine decades of acting with one of my favourite genres. Whether it’s Star Trek or X-Men, I’m a complete sci-fi addict!

Man smiling at camera in office environment

Ian Costigan

Ian’s chief operating officer at Manchester Airports Group (MAG). He joined MAG as transformation director and went on to become group asset management director.  

Before this, he worked for the UK’s biggest listed water company, United Utilities, leading on major assets management and IT transformation programmes.  

Ian’s also a member of our Homes and Places committee and our Growth and Investment committee

Man on bicycle wearing sunglasses and helmet smiling at camera

Ian Costigan

What’s your most treasured memory?

When my wife and I took our three adopted children to the swimming pool for the first time.  They’d never been swimming before, and we had so much fun with them playing in the water.

Which Yorkshire born and bred person do you admire most and why?

There’s so many to think about, but I’ve gone for the footballer Kevin Keegan.  Apart from his obvious sporting talents, I admire his passion and personal integrity. 

What’s the best bit of advice you’ve ever been given?

Whenever you’re facing a really big problem, always start by taking a deep breath and have a cup of tea.  

What’s your guilty pleasure?

The simple things in life – Dairy Milk chocolate (other brands are also available!), jelly tot sweets, and 70s and 80s disco music!

Photo of Nicky Passmore smiling wearing a patterned top with a navy cardigan over

Nicky Passmore

Nicky’s expertise is in improving customer experience and transforming service operations. After working in consumer goods and financial services, she moved into higher education working as director at the universities of Southampton and Melbourne. Part of her role in higher education involved running a student housing portfolio for over 6,000 students, which ignited her interest in housing. More recently she was chief executive of a member-led charity in the UK.