Our Leadership Team

Our Leadership Team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, ensuring we achieve our aims and objectives. Find out more about each of them below. 

Our Executive Leadership Team

Rob Wakefield - Chief Executive

Rob joined CGA in 2011, spending six years as Director of Resources prior to becoming CGA's Chief Executive in 2017.

As Chief Executive, Rob leads the Executive Team and works closely with the Board to ensure that CGA is a well-run organisation, working in partnership with tenants and stakeholders to provide home and communities that the people of Preston and the surrounding areas can be proud of.  Rob is passionate about the safety and wellbeing of the CGA team and its tenants and has executive responsibility for health and safety.

Rob is a qualified accountant and prior to joining CGA held a number of senior financial positions at housing and regeneration organisations across Greater Manchester. In addition to his role at CGA, Rob has served on the Boards of several housing, education and charitable bodies and is currently a non-executive director of Arawak Walton Housing Association: a specialist BME Housing Association operating in Greater Manchester, a Board Member of Empower: an organisation based in Chorley dedicated to the provision of specialist supported housing, and a Trustee of Preston Vocational Centre.

 

Louise Mattinson - Executive Director of Customers & Communities

Louise joined CGA in 2006 and has over 26 years’ experience within the housing sector across Preston and the Fylde Coast. Louise is passionate about customer service and ensuring all customers are listened to and treated as individuals.

Louise is the executive lead for our development programme, repairs service, improvement programme, and our front-line housing services including anti-social behaviour, allocations, older persons' services, homelessness, complaints and our Service Improvement Team. 

Louise is our Lead Officer for compliance with the Consumer Standards and the Executive Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

 

Craig Garner - Director Of Resources

Craig joined CGA in 2018 with over 30 years' experience in the sector in various financial roles. 
He is born and bred in Preston and has previously held senior finance roles at  several housing assocations across north west England

Craig is responsible for service functions including Finance, IT, Governance, Business Assurance and our Income Management Team.

 

 

 

 

Our Senior Management Team

Vacant - Head of Asset Management

We are currently recruiting to our Head of Asset Management role. The position is responsible for our Asset Management service, ensuring delivery of an efficient and effective repairs, maintenance and improvement services, ensuring CGA's homes are high-quality, safe and well-maintained. They also oversee our environmental services and grounds maintenance teams.

Stephen Pickup - Head of Business Assurance

Stephen joined CGA in 2017. Prior to joining CGA, Stephen spent nearly 20 years working in governance and accountability roles within the policing sector across Lancashire and Cheshire. Stephen has a Higher National Diploma in Business Management.

Stephen is repsonsible for governance and regulation, corporate planning and performance, risk management, internal audit, data protection and our facilities fleet management.

Claire Smith - Head of Culture and Engagement

Claire joined CGA in 2014 having held previous senior HR and organisational development roles. Claire is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is passionate about CGA being a great place to work. Claire is a qualified coach and mediator with a wealth of experience in human resources. Claire plays a key role in ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded in all we do.

Claire is passionate about providing a wide range of opportunities for tenants to engage with us and have their voices heard, regardless of how much time they have to spare. 

Claire is responsible for People Services, Community Engagement, Health and Safety, Communications and Marketing, and is the lead officer for our charitable subsidiary, Preston Vocational Centre.

Vacant - Head of Development and Regeneration

We are currently recruiting for a Head of Development and Regeneration to lead our ambitious development programme and mangage the investment into our communities to regenerate them into places where people can be proud to live.

Phil McCabe - Head of Finance

Phil has over 30 years’ experience in finance and joined CGA in 2005 as Head of Finance following the stock transfer in November 2005.

As Head of Finance Phil is responsible for managing CGA’s financial matters including CGA’s long-term Business Plan, management accounts, year-end financial statements and the payment of all supplier invoices.  Phil's team is also responsible for the annual rent and service charge setting process.

Phil is a qualified accountant and prior to joining CGA worked at Preston City Council on the stock transfer project team helping to facilitate the transfer in 2005.  Phil is also a school governor and Chair of the Finance Committee at a school in one of CGA’s local community areas.

Fiona Fisher - Head of Housing Services

Fiona was born in Preston and has raised a family here. She joined CGA in 2005 from Preston City Council and has over 20 years' housing experience, 10 of which were spent in Asset Management.  

Customer service is at the heart of Fiona's role, making sure we listen to tenants' views, act on feedback, and deliver services that are important to our customers. 

Fiona is responsible for all housing services from property application and allocation, through to tenancy management, anti-social behaviour, homelessness and support services, as well as our independent living schemes, including extra care.

Vacant - Head of Income Management

We are currently recruiting to our Head of Income Management role. This position is responsible for our rent collecion and tenancy support services, helping tenants to maximise their income and pay their rent.

Julie Lee - Head of Service Improvement

Julie joined CGA in 2007 as Rent Recovery Manager, and was appointed to Head of Income Management in 2017. Julie became Head of Service Improvement in 2024. 

Julie is responsible for leading on our service improvement plans, making sure all our customer-facing services are efficient and deliver positive outcomes for tenants. She is the senior lead for complaint handling, customer insight, mystery shopping, tenant scrutiny as well as leading our Performance Improvement team.

Brian Boullier - Head of Technology and Digital Transformation

Brian joined CGA in 2018, bringing relevant and up-to-date experience of technology-driven organisational change, having previously held positions of Director of IT and Learning Resources at an educational establishiment, and as Executive Director of IT at a Housing Association in Ireland.

Brian has over 25 years' experience in senior IT management, and is qualified in IT service management, project management and education as well as having a PhD in cancer research, in which he forged an international reputation in his early career.

Brian is responsible for Information Technology, Business Systems, Cyber Security and our IT infrastructure which all ensure that colleagues have the right kit to do their jobs well and deliver efficient services, and that our information is safe and secure.