The Executive Management Team is responsible for the day-to-day running of ForHousing. They make sure that our promises to tenants are being delivered and that the outcomes expected are being met.
Find out more about each member below.
Mike Parkin, Chief Executive Officer
With over 20 years’ experience operating at executive and board level, including ten years in housing, Mike leads the organisation in delivering the strategic outcomes set out in the ForHousing Strategy (2023–2028). His focus is on driving continuous improvement to enhance tenant satisfaction, delivering safe homes and excellent, equitable services for tenants, and ensuring ForHousing is a great place to work for colleagues. Mike also sits on the Boards of the Sovini Group and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Find out more about Mike
Who inspires you?
My children.
What’s your biggest fear?
Not succeeding.
What makes you proud to be a part of ForHousing?
Being part of a work family, whose aim is to positively impact the lives our social housing tenants.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Keeping fit and watching Liverpool Football Club.
Career highlight for you?
Many highlights but being appointed to lead this organisation was one.
Who would play you in a movie?
Least likely Daniel Craig, most likely Rowan Atkinson.
Jenny Neville, Deputy Chief Executive
With over 20 years’ management experience, including 15 years as an executive officer, Jenny brings strong expertise in commercial and performance management, people leadership and development, and governance and risk. She is committed to fostering a positive, inclusive and highly motivating culture, where colleagues are empowered to do their best for tenants.
She has worked in the social housing sector for eight years and has a strong understanding of the challenges faced by housing organisations, alongside the approaches needed to deliver successful and sustainable change.
Find out more about Jenny
Who inspires you?
Volunteers – those that give their time to help others. I am a wreck when I watch Children in Need and Red Nose Day!
What’s your biggest fear?
The loss of family and friends.
What makes you proud to be a part of ForHousing?
That our shared vision is to positively impact the lives of our social housing tenants, I am immensely proud of the amazing work of my colleagues and the difference they make in communities.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Spending time with my two young children, James and Eleanor, and our dog, Bryn. Sugar, I didn’t mention my husband, so I best include him too!
I also enjoy running – the space, fresh air and physical challenge provides me with so much perspective. I absolutely love it and often run with friends.
Career highlight for you?
Developing people who smash their career goals. My biggest success is the success of others.
Who would play you in a movie?
Not sure there are many 5ft actresses with a Bolton accent! Jenna Coleman? Although I love Sheridan Smith so she would be brill!
Martyn Hague, Executive Director of Customer
Martyn brings over 25 years of housing experience across a wide range of roles, Martyn has a strong track record of delivering customer-focused, equitable services for tenants. He is committed to ensuring tenants are listened to, that the organisation learns from their experiences, and that they remain at the heart of everything it does.
Martyn has overall responsibility for compliance with the social housing Consumer Standards.
Martyn leads delivery of the Customer Strategy, ensuring that tenant insight, feedback, and lived experience inform decisions at every level. He is committed to strengthening transparency, improving service quality, and driving cultural change that places tenants firmly at the heart of the organisation. He is focused on bringing forward projects that will meaningfully improve the customer experience.
Find out more about Martyn
Who inspires you?
People who are driven by making a difference.
What’s your biggest fear?
Not being able to provide a roof over my family’s heads.
What makes you proud to be a part of ForHousing?
The collective impact we have on a daily basis improving our social housing tenants lives.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Following Manchester City, general exercising with a preference for cycling and running. Socialising with friends and family.
What is a career highlight for you?
Developing people and seeing their careers blossom.
Who would play you in a movie?
Connor McIntyre.
Clare Tostevin, Executive Director of Investment and Growth
With a career shaped across both housing associations and local authorities, Clare brings a wealth of experience as a Director and Non-Executive Director. A Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, she has worked across the full spectrum of housing and regeneration – from homelessness, rents and benefits, and housing management to community development.
Over the years, Clare has developed a passion for strategy and regeneration, leading major investment in both new and existing homes to help neighbourhoods grow and thrive.
What truly drives Clare’s work is lived experience. Having been a social housing tenant, she brings a grounded understanding of what good homes and strong communities mean in people’s everyday lives. This insight shapes a leadership style that is people-centred, inclusive, and focused on long-term impact.
Deeply connected to Greater Manchester, Clare is committed to championing sustainable, inclusive growth that creates opportunities for tenants and supports communities.
Find out more about Clare
Who inspires you?
All those people who carry on delivering great services with positivity and determination through tough times
What’s your biggest fear?
If feels as though there is a lot to be scared of in the world at the moment. I worry that we need to find our humanity to meet challenges with collaboration and kindness not division and dogma. And wolves.
What are you most excited about being a part of at ForHousing?
Being with a team where the absolute commitment is delivering the best for tenants.
What do you like doing in your spare time or to relax?
Spend time with family, friends and the dog, preferably outdoors – not necessarily in that order.
What is a career highlight for you?
Seeing people I work with grow in confidence and experience and go on to do great things.
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Suranne Jones please – probably drawing more on her Corrie days than later roles.
Syka Sheikh, Executive Director of Governance and Assurance
Syka has over 20 years’ experience in social housing, having worked across a wide range of roles with both Housing Associations and Local Authorities. She is a qualified solicitor and previously worked as an independent trainer. With a strong passion for governance, her current role is particularly fulfilling. She has held senior leadership positions for the past seven years, with her most recent role focused on governance, assurance, and health and safety.
She enjoys coaching and mentoring others and is not afraid to ask thoughtful, challenging questions as part of this approach. Her leadership style encourages people to take ownership of their work and to identify solutions that make what they do more effective.
She believes the best leaders set a clear and compelling vision, using it as a “north star” to guide and motivate others. In her view, great leaders establish clear frameworks and timelines, then empower people to deliver—while providing support and encouragement along the way.
Honesty and integrity are central to any strong relationship, and she is committed to bringing these values into every aspect of her life.
Find out more about Syka
Who inspires you?
Greta Thunberg.
What’s your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is everyone knowing my biggest fear!
What are you most excited about being a part of at ForHousing?
Working with like-minded people who are focussed on getting the fundamentals right for social housing tenants.
What do you like doing in your spare time or to relax?
I love being outdoors walking with family and friends. We have a German Shepherd called Willow and she’s always happy to join in – even when it’s wet and cold!
What is a career highlight for you?
I love coaching and mentoring people, when I see people I’m working with growing in confidence and skills it really lights up my day.
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Constance Wu – I love the work she is doing to raise awareness of injustice.
Mark Sullivan, Executive Director of ICT
Mark has extensive experience managing a fast-paced and evolving ICT landscape and is skilled in delivering strategic organisational change through technology and data-led solutions.
He has worked in a wide range of roles both in the UK and internationally, bringing over 20 years’ experience in the housing sector, including five years operating at executive and board level. Through delivery of the Resources Strategy, he is responsible for exploring new and maximising existing technology solutions to increase productivity, drive efficiency, improve data quality, and safeguard organisational systems and data.
Find out more about Mark
Who inspires you?
My parents. They always have and always will.
What’s your biggest fear?
Being trapped in a tight closed space.
What makes you proud to be a part of ForHousing?
The difference we all make by putting tenants at the heart of all we do.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to travel.
Career highlight for you?
Being part of a fantastic team working here.
Who would play you in a movie?
I was stuck on this question, so I asked my partner, without hesitation he said ‘Danny DeVito’ – thanks! I’d probably say Martin Freeman or Simon Pegg.
Anestis Gaitanidis, Interim Executive Director of Finance
With over 17 years’ finance experience across audit, corporate finance and senior finance roles in international organisations and social housing providers, Anestis brings strong expertise in financial and people management. Over the past six years in the housing sector, he has developed a clear understanding of the challenges facing the industry and how to deliver meaningful and sustainable change.
Anestis is committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment where people can do their best work and feel genuinely valued. He also brings a multilingual background, with fluency in English, Greek, Italian and Spanish.
Find out more about Anestis
Who inspires you?
My parents.
What’s your biggest fear?
Loss of loved ones and heights.
What are you most excited about being a part of at ForHousing?
Contributing towards making a positive impact on the lives of our tenants while ensuring value for money.
What do you like doing in your spare time or to relax?
Spending quality time with friends and travelling.
What is a career highlight for you?
Supporting people in becoming the best version of themselves and growing our own talent.
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
I’d say Gerard Butler — mostly because of the Greek connection from his role as King Leonidas in 300. Not a perfect likeness, but I’ll take the association!
