Alison joined Great Places as a graduate in 1997 working in customer involvement, moving into regeneration and several housing management roles. She has over twenty years’ experience working in the housing sector in a variety of operational housing management and leadership roles.
Alison is passionate about driving people-focused change and has led large scale change programmes that ensure the needs of customers are at the heart of service delivery and positive organisational culture are built.
More recently, Alison has driven cultural change through continuous improvement of services and became Deputy Chief Executive in 2022 and took over as Chief Executive in July 2024.
Alison is also the Vice Chair at Warrington Housing Association.
Alison manages the Executive Team and is accountable to the Board.
As an Executive Director, Alison adheres to the Great Places Code of Governance and Probity Policies, and as such withdraws from the Board’s discussions and decisions on relevant matters where there is a material conflict of interest.
Guy is responsible for the customer-facing side of our business, ensuring the organisation provides a great customer experience. Alongside managing our neighbourhoods, he is also responsible for our work in Independence and Wellbeing, which supports our more vulnerable customers to develop life skills and achieve their goals, and is an active member in a number of sector-related partnerships and forums. Guy has extensive experience in all aspects of housing but his passion lies in health and housing, investment in communities and regeneration, and the importance of getting right the basics of property management.
Mike has responsibility for ensuring Great Places’ finance, assurance, procurement, governance and colleague health and safety functions provide high-quality support to the rest of the Group. He also ensures that the Group’s regulatory and statutory requirements are satisfied.
One of Mike’s key challenges is balancing the need for the long-term financial viability and stability of Great Places with risks posed by the Group’s strategic growth and development objectives.
He started his career in auditing and professional services and has worked in the housing sector for 20 years.
Helen Spencer leads Great Places’ Growth directorate, overseeing all development activity, sales, regeneration, and our in-house contractor, Terra Nova. She leads our strategic partnerships and supports sector-wide collaboration.
Since joining Great Places in 2004, Helen has delivered thousands of new homes and led major regeneration projects across the North-West and South Yorkshire. A dedicated mentor, she champions talent development and leads award-winning teams.
Helen is passionate about inclusive housing, having pioneered the UK’s first majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care scheme. Under her leadership, Great Places has achieved record delivery and earned key industry accolades. She also serves on the boards of Sheffield Housing Company and Hive Homes, promoting collaboration and innovation to meet housing needs.
Steve has overall responsibility for our Repairs and Assets functions, overseeing these areas which also include facilities management, property investment, divestment, building safety compliance and carbon management.
He joined Great Places in 2024 from First Choice Homes Oldham, where he was Executive Director of Homes.
Steve has worked in the housing and regeneration sectors for over 30 years and has experience across all aspects of asset management and property-based services. Prior to joining First Choice Homes Oldham, he was Property Services Director at Places for People. He brings a wealth of experience and extensive knowledge of our sector, as well as a sharp customer focus that really benefits our business and the people that live in our homes and communities.
Sharon oversees the People and Transformation Directorate, which includes the Business Transformation, Communications, People and Tech Services Teams.
Sharon joined Great Places in 2002 working as a Tenant Participation Officer in Bolton, before taking on a variety of roles and becoming Director of Assurance in 2021. She has a vast knowledge and understanding of our business and sector, and in her role Sharon leads the strategic and cultural transformation of Great Places, helping us to achieve innovation, efficiency and excellence in service delivery for both colleagues and customers.
22/01/2026
Great Places recently welcomed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to its award-winning Docherty Project in Rusholme, to see first-hand how its specialist Independence & Wellbeing scheme is supporting people experiencing homelessness alongside alcohol dependency. During the visit, the Mayor met customers and colleagues to learn how the project helps individuals regain stability and independence. He […]
20/01/2026
Article by: Great Places
Stay warm, save money and make your home more energy‑efficient this winter with our support throughout Energy Saving Week.
19/01/2026
Great Places recently hosted Manchester City Council leaders to celebrate the start on site of its £21m affordable housing development at Grey Mare Lane in Beswick, Manchester. The event was attended by Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Cllr Gavin White, Executive Member for Housing and Development, alongside Alison Dean, our Chief […]
