The Principal officers for the Vicinity group are :
Philip Gandy Group Chief Executive
Anne Seddon Group Finance Director
Tony Dunne Group Director of Investment
Bill Tubey (Chair)
A Senior Manager from an operational/engineering background in the electricity distribution industry, Bill has extensive experience of the leadership and effective management of multi-disciplined teams. He has a wide knowledge of change management, industrial relations and the management of industrial staff.
Bill is involved in activities with the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and was heavily involved in the business community and charitable and fundraising activities. He won the Scottish Power regional safety award for the best safety record in Merseyside.
Philip Gandy
Phil has worked in housing and regeneration on Merseyside for over 30 years. During his time with Liverpool City Council the areas of work he was involved in included housing management, private sector renewal, homelessness, stock transfer and housing market/neighbourhood renewal. Before leaving the Council Phil helped establish their new Neighbourhood Management Service and was appointed Neighbourhood Manager for North Liverpool.
In 2004, Phil became the Housing and Neighbourhood Services Director at Liverpool Housing Trust and in 2005 was promoted to the post of Managing Director. In March 2007 Phil took up the post of Group Chief Executive of LHT’s parent company Vicinity Group.
Anne Seddon
Anne was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 2007 having been Director of Financial Services since 1998 and Group Finance Director from April 2003.
Prior to this Anne worked in the utilities industry and was Head of Finance for Parkman Group Engineering Consultancy. She was GE and GEC Group Finance Director from 1993 – 1998. As well as finance, Anne has handled IT and HR arrangements for two recent stock transfers and also financial control systems.
Anne is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants.
Andrew Thompson-Smith
Andrew has worked for 30 years as an architect specialising in housing. He worked for Merseyside Improved Houses for 4 years, working on housing regeneration. Andrew spent 10 years as Managing Director of KKA Architects in Liverpool. His work included numerous new housing developments, projects for the elderly and general family needs for various housing associations.
He was responsible for the remodelling of council estates in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Oldham and Bootle following their transfer to the private sector as well as Estate Action schemes in Milton Keynes and the Dingle and Dovecot areas of Liverpool.
Bob Bowen
Bob was a council tenant for 25 years and has lived in the Scarisbrick area since 1978. He became involved in the local tenants and residents group SATRA because of his concern about the need for better living conditions for residents, particularly in the defective ‘Boswell’ houses. He is Treasurer of the Scarisbrick Area Tenants and Residents Association. Bob is a self employed taxi driver.
Sue Carmichael
Sue, Principal of Constructive Futures and an architect by profession, has worked in the public, private, higher education and voluntary sectors with wide experience in housing, regeneration and community related projects. In public life, she is a magistrate and currently a Governor of Liverpool Community College and a national RIBA committee; she has served on several national, regional and local councils and committees, and co-initiated innovative community projects.
Wendy Oram
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Wendy is a resident and Chair of Beechwood Ballantyne Community Housing Association who joined Vicinity’s Board in 2009.
Lee Heaven
Lee was born and raised in Birmingham, attended university in Liverpool, and qualified as a Solicitor in 1977 with a city centre practice where he served his articles. Lee remained with the same legal firm for over 30 years becoming Senior Partner in 1994. Lee retired in July 2008 and is now a Consultant Solicitor.
As an 'adopted Liverpudlian' Lee is an enthusiastic supporter of the city and enjoys theatre, cinema and arts, supporting projects in Liverpool. Lee is married with four children, all of whom have graduated from various universities throughout the country and have returned to Liverpool to follow their respective careers.
Jean Myers
Jean was born in Liverpool and after 32 years working in local government is now retired. Her expertise is in the regeneration field having managed major capital projects in Liverpool and Knowsley. Jean has an MBA, and also holds CIPFA (Finance) and HR qualifications. As well as Vicinity, Jean is also a Director on the Boards of LIPA and Blackburne House. Jean lives in Liverpool with her husband and has one son.
Allan Knox
After gaining a degree in chemistry and working in the oil industry for a short period, Allan emigrated from Scotland to the North West of England. He eventually put down roots in Clitheroe in 1992 and started to play a prominent role in the local community. He co-founded the community newsletter Castle View, between 2005 and 2007 was the town's mayor, and is now leader of the opposition on Ribble Valley Borough Council.
Having previously been both vice chair of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s Housing Committee as well as a council tenant, Allan has a first hand understanding of the need for quality social housing in rural areas. He has spent much of the last 10 years working in IT both for Lancashire County Council and for a major internet service provider.