Executive Management Team 

Paul Allen, Chief Executive

Paul was appointed Chief Executive in June 2008. Paul brings a wealth of leadership, strategy and customer service skills and experience to Abbeyfield. Prior to joining the Society, Paul served as Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust in Reading. He has also worked as Managing Director of ABP Connect, a subsidiary of Associated British Ports Holdings plc, and held senior managerial positions with Excel plc, Mars Inc. and ICI plc.

Paul's main objectives are to promote the values of the Abbeyfield movement, raise the profile of the organisation and further develop its volunteer corps to ensure that Abbeyfield becomes a leading provider of supported sheltered housing and care homes to older people. Read more...

John Crisp, Director of Housing

John joined Abbeyfield in June 2009 and brings with him a wealth of operational and business development experience gained over more than 20 years in Healthcare, Retail and Leisure.  Prior to joining the Society, John served as Deputy Regional Director with Bupa Care Services across the North of England as well as leading strategic projects including a national strategy for the Development of Dementia Services.  Before moving into health and social care he spent several years in senior management roles with Whitbread plc. John holds a BA Honours Degree in Human Movement Studies.

Helena Little, Director of Care

Helena Little joined Abbeyfield in July 2002.  She is a qualified social worker, registered with the General Social Care Council and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  Her career in social care has spanned over 30 years; she has worked in Local Authority Social Services Departments and other third sector organisations.  Helena has also been a member of various university examination boards for social care and prior to coming to Abbeyfield from May 2001 she was seconded by her previous employer as a researcher/consultant to the Institute of Public Care, Oxford Brookes University.  She is currently on the English Community Care Association(ECCA) Board a member of the Skills for Care, London Regional Committee, the Skills for Care, Standards and Qualifications Sub-committee of the Policy Development Committee and a member of Partnership Council, Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE).

Karen Jones, Director of Human Resources

Karen is MCIPD-qualified and holds a Master's degree in Human Resources Management. Karen has worked in various human resources management positions for 16 years in the NHS. This has included tenures in Acute, Community and Primary Care Trusts. She has also worked for three years as a human resources consultant at the Royal College of Nursing in London. There, Karen was involved in organisational change, developing policies and procedures and employee relations issues. Karen holds a Diploma in Counselling and has practised as a bereavement counsellor.

Tim Chaudhry, Director of Development

Tim joined Abbeyfield as Director of Development in August 2008.  His career has spanned over 15 years; working with Local Authorities and Housing Associations in the areas of Property Maintenance, Asset Management, Development and Regeneration. He has an MSc in International Business Management with research around International Supply and Construction of Modular Housing Solutions.

David Whiteley, Director of Finance and IT

David joined Abbeyfield in February 2010 and has much infrastructure and commercial experience. Prior to joining Abbeyfield David was Finance Director (and board member) of a company managing £2billion of PFI capital assets and sat as FD on the investor consortium boards of a number of large investments. These investments included PFI hospitals, London Underground, the new Home Office and a Motorway project. Before this his UK roles included FD, Reliance Security and divisional director roles in Xerox in both finance and general management. In South Africa he trained with Deloittes before moving on to Proctor & Gamble and the Barlow Rand Group. David holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree, has an MBA and is a qualified accountant.

Natasha Singarayer, General Counsel and Company Secretary

Natasha joined Abbeyfield in 2009 as General Counsel and Company Secretary. She brings with her broad commercial and corporate experience as a solicitor both in private practice and in commerce and industry. As a part of this, Natasha has been responsible for advising on corporate governance matters, regulatory compliance, legal training of staff, developing internal policies and procedures as well as negotiating complex commercial contracts and corporate transactions for major multi-national organisations. Natasha holds a Master of Business Administration degree.

Mark Gleeson, Membership Director

Mark joined Abbeyfield as Membership Director in April 2009, but had been working with Abbeyfield in a consultancy role since September 2008.  Mark brings with him commercial experience from the Healthcare sector, having held a number of sales and marketing roles within Smith & Nephew plc. over the past 10 years.   Mark holds a Masters of Business Administration degree and is a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.

David Coe, International Director

David joins Abbeyfield in the UK as International Director in May 2011 following a career that has covered the private, public and not for profit sectors. He has recently been running the International Psychoanalytical Association, a worldwide membership organisation, and prior to that ran a consultancy for the not for profit sector, was Executive Director of ORBIS, the blindness organisation, and Marketing Director for Amnesty International where he was also responsible for international development.