Alison Dean is the Chief Executive Officer of Great Places.
She has over 20 years experience working in the housing sector, starting her career in customer involvement, before branching into regeneration and a variety of housing and management roles
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.
Leading our Growth directorate, Helen is responsible for the delivery of Great Places’ £1bn affordable housing development programme and the management of key stakeholder relationships like the recently announced Homes England Strategic Partnership. Helen is also responsible for leading Great Places’ Plumlife sales team, oversees the £750m Innovation Chain North construction framework and the growth of Great Places’ recently launched in-house building contractor, Terra Nova Developments Limited.
Helen joined Great Places in 2004 as an Assistant Development Officer and became Director of Development in 2016, delivering more than 4,000 new homes in that role. She has led on a number of high profile projects and bids, most recently running the successful Victoria North bid in Manchester. In addition, Helen has provided inspirational leadership for Great Places’ successful sales teams.
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.
24/03/2025
Great Places has teamed up with a Football League club to help people live a healthier lifestyle. The FIT Blackpool Programme is a weight management initiative which helps educate people around improving fitness levels, nutrition and general wellbeing, being run by Blackpool FC. The programme, which will run in different cohorts across 2025, runs separate […]
24/03/2025
Great Places Housing Group hosted Stockport MP, Navendu Mishra, on a visit to a specialist housing scheme and recent affordable housing developments in his constituency. Mr Mishra was joined by Great Places’ Chief Executive Alison Dean, Executive Director of Growth Helen Spencer, and representatives from Homes England’s Affordable Housing Delivery team. The first part of […]
20/03/2025
Energy prices are set to rise 6% on April 1st with many households facing higher energy bills. The price cap, which sets the maximum rate that energy suppliers can charge for each unit of energy and daily standing charges, will increase, bringing the annual cost for a typical household to £1,849. For the majority of […]
