The Board of Management

Cathy Ferrier (2009) (Chair)

Cathy has spent 25 years in commercial roles for leading retailers, starting in buying and merchandising for the Burton Group. She joined The Walt Disney Co., as Director of Buying for the Disney Stores, Europe and then moved on to Consumer Products, as Vice President for Europe.

At WH Smith as Business Unit Director for books, Cathy acted as Non Exec Director for Book Tokens and as a Director on the Booksellers’ Association Board. In her roles as Commercial Director for Borders, she led the buying and marketing teams, winning the “Bookseller Chain Retailer of the Year” and “Bookselling Company of the Year” with ground-breaking marketing campaigns.

Since joining Oxfam in September 2006, she has led the Corporate Communications and the Supporter Marketing Divisions. As Fundraising and Supporter Marketing Director she is responsible for bringing in over £100m in income from individuals in the UK and has led the brand refresh work.

Cathy became Chair of the Vale Housing Association in September 2009 and lives in Headington, Oxford.

Jaqui Hepher (2004) (Vice Chair)

Jaqui, who grew up in the Vale of White Horse, has spent most of her working life in the travel industry. Jaqui has been involved in the tenants movement for many years and, whilst living in Bristol, was Secretary and then Chair of the Ashley Area Housing Committee (the equivalent to our tenant forums). She has also been a Chair of the Estate Management Board in the St Pauls Area of the city. Jaqui returned to the Vale in 2000 and moved into a Vale property in Grove in 2003.

Gareth Reynolds (2001)

Gareth is a qualified accountant who has worked in the distribution, computer and steel industries.

Frederick Russell (2004)

Frederick has been a tenant in Longworth since 1977. He gained a Higher Commercial Certificate in Economics from the London School of Economics and went on to teach Economics and English in the Army Education Corps. Since then he has had various jobs and was a licensed Hackney carriage driver when he retired. Fred has been involved with the Association since the beginning and hopes to carry on the good work that his wife Barbara did as a Board member for 10 years before she passed away in 2004.

Chris Holliday (2008)

Chris is a former Warrant Officer and Resident Board Member with Cottsway Housing Association.  He lives in Witney with his wife and 3 young daughters and has a strong sense of need for social cohesion. 

Chris Trigwell (2009)

Chris retired from Sovereign Housing Association in 2004 after 15 years as a Director and a total of 42 years of involvement in Social Housing with local authorities and Sovereign and its predecessor. His roles have encompassed all aspects of Social Housing but with particular emphasis on Property Maintenance, Refurbishment, Asset Management and Development..

Steve Abbott (2008)

Steve is a housing consultant having worked in the local authority and RSL housing sectors for over 30 years.  He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institue of Housing with expertise in housing management and development.  He is a trustee of a local Citizens Advice Bureau and is on the Board of a small self help housing association specialising in support housing.

Hazel King (2008)

Hazel is a management development consultant providing training and coaching ot organisations and idividuals.  She has over 20 years experience in major blue chip companies working in direct customer contact roles and managing large operational teams.

Ian Hembrow (2010)

Ian is a freelance housing consultant, who specialises in customer engagement and communication. A former housing association director, Ian is passionately committed to giving residents a real say in the way housing providers run their business and service, so that they offer the best possible standards, support and value for money. He is also particularly interested in the role that new technology has to play in modernising services and empowering customers and communities.

Bill Champion (2008)

Bill spent 25 years working overseas with The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. In 1991 he joined The Building Societies Commission where as Assistant Commissioner he lead a team which supervised a group of Building Societies and which advised the Commission on policy relating to Capital Adequacy, Liquidity and Treasury. In 1999 he moved to the Financial Services Authority where he managed a team supervising Banks and Building Societies. He retired in 2004 and became a trustee of Daybreak Oxford which manages day care centres for people suffering from dementia.