Emma Kiddle
Head of Communications and Marketing, Settle

Emma is Head of Communications and Marketing at settle. The organisation supports over 23,000 residents in more than 10,000 homes across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and South Cambridgeshire, and Emma is responsible for all resident, colleague and stakeholder communications. Prior to joining settle, Emma worked as Head of Marketing Communications at Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading charity for young cancer patients and their families and led high profile campaigns in central government departments. Emma is co-chair of the National Housing Federation’s National Communications and Influencing Group, and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Matt Rhodes
Director of Communications and Public Affairs, The Hyde Group

Matt is a communications and public affairs leader, with a background across party politics, local government, and social housing. As Director of Communications and Public Affairs for The Hyde Group, a not-for-profit provider of 50,000 affordable homes across London and the South East, he works with national and trade media, builds relationships to influence stakeholders, and develops the group’s policy positions. During his time at MTVH, another social housing provider, Matt coordinated the activities of the G15 group of leading housing associations that collectively provide over 770,000 homes across the country, working across the political spectrum and with senior government officials. Before moving into social housing, Matt worked for the Labour Party in various roles over more than 12 years.

Hannah Jowett
Head of Communications and Brand, Yorkshire Housing

Hannah is head of communications and brand for Yorkshire Housing where she leads a full-service communications team including public affairs and external policy. Since joining, Hannah has led a reinvention of the Yorkshire Housing brand and its approach to communications. She is passionate about building teams where people can thrive and bring their ideas and creativity to life.

Hannah also leads communications for three housing partnerships across the devolved areas of South, West and North Yorkshire - working alongside housing CEOs, Local and Combined Authorities to deliver PR and influencing strategies to support the delivery of shared housing ambitions across the regions.

She is Vice Chair of the NHF’s National Influencing and Communications Committee.

Jon Reeves
Director of Communications, Amplius

Ed Thomas
DirectorCommunications, Marketing and Public Affairs, Housing Plus Group

Matt Solesbury
Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Places for People

Matt Solesbury has worked in housing for over 12 years with spells at five housing associations, the National Housing Federation and Shelter. A previous shared owner of nearly seven years in London, he is currently Senior Corporate Communications Manager at Places for People.

Fiona Capel
Head of Communications, whg

Steve Hayes
Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications, GreenSquareAccord

Steve has more than a decade of experience leading the communications functions at housing organisations. After moving into communications and PR after a career as a newspaper journalist he led communications for the Chartered Institute of Housing and has subsequently overseen award-winning transformations of the communications functions at Citizen and GSA. Steve has become a leading voice on communication within the social housing and not-for-profit sectors and regularly speaks on national platforms to share his insight and experience. He is a non-executive director at Creative Bridge, one of the leading creative agencies in the housing sector.

Lucy Dixon
Head of External Affairs, Karbon Homes

Lucy leads on public affairs and communications for the North East Housing Partnership. She has more than 20 years’ experience in communications and public affairs, and has worked across the voluntary and public sector including RNIB, the British Red Cross and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Sonia Johal Squires
Head of Communication, Citizen

Sonia Squires is Head of Communications at Citizen Housing who have 30,000 homes across the West Midlands. A Fellow of the institute of Internal Communication, Sonia is an esteemed leader in the comms profession whose passion is in supporting leaders to drive greater connection. Sonia has worked across the education sector, NHS and now in social housing leading teams to deliver impactful comms that are truly centred on the audience.

Alex Diner
Head of External Affairs, National Housing Federation

Alex is Head of External Affairs and Campaigns at the National Housing Federation. He has previously worked as a solicitor, representing bereaved and survivors from the Grenfell Tower fire at the public inquiry. He has also worked as a political advisor, in the think tank sector, and has been a local councillor and a parliamentary candidate.