Executive Team

Chief Executive - Ian Martin MBA, FCIH, FCMI, FRSA

Ian joined us in November 2012 as Executive Director of Operations, becoming Chief Executive in June 2019.

Spanning over 30 years, Ian has an impressive and wide-ranging background in housing. From creating and championing social enterprise schemes, developing new housing and supported housing schemes, offering job opportunities to young people to overseeing all types of housing.  Ian's been hands-on in many areas of social housing as well as developing strategy and policy.  Ian is passionate about social housing and the impact it can have on both individual families and society as a whole.   

 As the Chief Executive of Estuary Housing Association, Ian is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and viability of the Association, as set out in the Board's approved strategy.  Ian’s other responsibilities include supporting the Board and Sub-Committees to control our affairs, making sure we comply with statutory and policy requirements, and maintaining our objectives and values.  Ian is dedicated to fostering a motivated, performance-focused staff and implementing robust internal control systems throughout the organisation.

Ian is an Executive Member of Estuary’s Board of Management and a board member of National Housing Federation.  He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing. His qualifications include the Chartered Institute of Housing Professional Qualification, and an MBA (Executive) from the University of Hertfordshire Business School.  He has a Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching from Henley Business School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.   

Director of Built Environment - Abigail Ellis

Abigail joined us in November 2022.

Dedicated to the field of affordable housing, Abigail has a strong commitment to keeping people safe, good quality homes and making best use of our housing stock. Her expertise lies in delivering maintenance, compliance, and asset management services, with a strong focus on customer satisfaction, co-creation and continuous improvement.

Abigail began her career in housing property services at Norwich City Council. Prior to joining us, she delivered on Building Safety and Sustainability briefs as a Consultant for the London Boroughs of Enfield and Redbridge. She has also gained valuable experience working in senior positions at organisations such as Clarion, Anchor Hanover and others along the way.

Abigail is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing, holds the Chartered Institute of Building qualification and has an MSc.

As Director of Built Environment, Abigail provides strategic leadership and oversees asset management, new build projects, and maintenance services. She represents us externally, upholds our values, and reports to the Board on associated matters. Abigail ensures good management and performance within our Built Environment Directorate with a focus on the development of new homes and strategic asset management activities.

Director of Customer Services - Helen Gregory

Helen joined us in April 2019 as Executive Director of Operations, becoming Director of Customer Services a year later.

Helen is an experienced strategic housing professional with over 25 years’ of experience working with Councils, Housing Associations and Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO).

Helen has held key roles such as Operations Director at Colne Housing, Head of Housing at Brentwood Council, and Contracts Manager at Triathlon Homes overseeing the transition of the Olympic Games legacy 2012 athletics village into affordable housing. She also served as an associate consultant for Campbell Tickell on housing assignments.

A Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Helen is passionate about customer service and resident empowerment.

As Director of Customer Services, Helen leads the association’s strategic vision across all areas. She focuses on making sure we give excellent customer service, keep to our values, all while speaking with external stakeholders.

Helen’s responsibilities include leadership, management and performance of all activities included in the Customer Service directorate. This includes ‘people’ based services provided to customers for example housing management, communities and engagement, customer contact, Care and Support, ASB and neighbourhood services. Helen is responsible for our compliance with Consumer Standards.

Chief Financial Officer - Michael Hadjimichael ACMA, CGMA, BSc (Hons)

Michael joined us as Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources in July 2018. He was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in March 2020.

Michael has worked in the Social Housing sector since 2006, having held senior financial positions at Swan Housing and CHP.  From 2015-18, Michael was Director of Resources at Colchester Borough Homes with responsibilities for finance, HR, Governance, Risk , performance, IT and Health and Safety.

As Chief Financial Officer, Michael’s role in the Executive Team (ET) is important, giving strategic direction, vision, and leadership to our entire organisation. He is a champion of our values and behaviours, expressing them in all areas of his work. Michael is responsible for reporting to the Board on many areas, offering detailed and professional expertise and experience to guide decision-making. Michael’s responsibilities include the leadership, management, and performance oversight of Finance, Procurement, Technology and Change and People and Organisational Development.  

Michael’s an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and also has a Degree in Economics and Accounting from Loughborough University.  Michael is also a Non-Executive Director for NOW Housing, and a Trustee Board Member for Chelmer Learning Partnership.

Director of Governance and Corporate Assurance - Jeremy Jacobs

Jeremy joined us in January 2022 as Director of Governance and Corporate Assurance.

With a doctorate in Public Policy, Jeremy briefly worked as an academic at the University of Birmingham, where he researched youth policy and social exclusion. He has a wide ranging background in housing and homelessness, including managing a supported housing project for young homeless people in Essex and several roles in strategy, policy and corporate governance at manager, head of service and director level.

As Director of Governance and Business Assurance, Jeremy holds an important role in making sure we follow legal and regulatory obligations. He oversees the regular updating of policies and procedures to meet government legislation, improving and maintaining frameworks that manage risks across the organisation. Jeremy also serves as the Company Secretary and Data Protection Officer, providing expert and detailed advice on all aspects of GDPR.

Jeremy’s responsibilities include guiding the Board on strategic governance and assurance matters and managing the operation of the Business Assurance Framework. This includes overseeing our outsourced internal audit program. He takes the lead on risk management, working with the Senior Leadership Team to create a risk culture matching the Board's risk appetite.

Jeremy is passionate about creating real change in local communities and setting the highest standards of governance in housing.