What we do

Our Leadership Team

Our executive team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, ensuring we achieve our aims and objectives.

Tina Barnard - Chief Executive

Tina Barnard - Chief Executive

Tina has been Chief Executive since we were formed in 2007. She is a qualified accountant who has been in the housing sector for 30 years, working as a Finance Director in three housing organisations – CHP, Worthing Homes and New Era – as well as a financial analyst at the Housing Corporation.

Tina has also been a Non-Executive Director for a number of housing and charitable organisations, and is currently the Interim Chair of Parasol Homes.

As Chief Executive, Tina has overall responsibility for delivering Watford Community Housing’s Business Plan by working closely with directors, managers and staff, including the Marketing and Communications team, who report directly to her. 

Paul Richmond - Deputy Chief Executive

Paul Richmond - Deputy Chief Executive

Paul is a qualified accountant who has completed an MBA at Cranfield. He worked in the financial services sector for 15 years, and has extensive experience in strategic planning, risk management, and ensuring the commercial success and viability of organisations.

As Deputy Chief Executive, he is responsible for ensuring we have the right resources to meet our ambitious goals. This includes delivering strong financial performance and ensuring we have the treasury facilities in place to support our growth, as well as leading our IT team on its digital transformation strategy and our HR team on making Watford Community Housing an even greater place to work. He is also responsible for ensuring the highest standards in both corporate governance and regulatory compliance.

Helen Town - Group Director of Property and Partnerships

Helen Town - Group Director of Property and Partnerships

Helen has 30 years’ experience across the voluntary, public and private sectors, and holds a range of professional qualifications, including an MBA in construction and real estate.

Helen spent more than six years at Northampton Partnership Homes, where she had lead responsibility for Asset Management and Development. 

As Group Director of Property and Partnerships, she oversees our development activity and property services, and is responsible for driving sustainable growth through ongoing partnerships with local councils, construction specialists and other housing associations.

Peter Cogan – Group Director of Customer Services

Peter Cogan – Group Director of Customer Services

Peter has a wealth of experience in identifying and meeting customer needs, in roles across a range of key service industries, including housing.

Most recently, he was in an interim role as Director of Customer Operations at Optivo, having previously been Executive Director of Customer Service at RHP Group, as well as serving as a Group Board member for CHP.

As Group Director of Customer Services, Peter oversees many of our key customer-facing functions, including the Housing, Customer Services, Customer Relations and Community Engagement teams.