Meet the Board
Debbie Green (Chair)
Debbie is an experienced leader, formerly Group Chief Executive of Beacon Cymru, where she successfully led the merger of Coastal and RHA to form Beacon. She is a former Chair of CHC and is currently a Trustee and Chair of Audit and Risk for Platfform, a leading mental health charity. Having started her career as a Chartered Accountant with PWC she has worked across the private, public and 3rd sectors in Wales. She has led organisations through periods of change, strengthening governance, improving assurance, and building high trust cultures. She is committed to delivering safe, high‑quality homes, delivering positive outcomes for tenants and staff. Debbie has a History degree from Cambridge, an MBA from the OU, and is an Honorary Fellow of UWTSD.
Peter Maggs
Peter is an experienced housing professional having spent his career within the sector. For 20 years he was Group Chief Executive at Pembrokeshire Housing. Since retiring he has held Board Member and Chair roles with Tai Tarian, Ty Hafan (Children’s Hospice) Hendre Group and Cadwyn. He Chairs the Igneous subsidiary.
Debra Wood-Lawson (Governance & Organisational Development Committee Chair)
Debra is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has a career in human resource management. Debra is an Executive Director in NHS Wales, and held senior HR roles in Local Government, Welsh Executive Agency, as well as Higher Education and a private sector energy company.
Paul Evans
Paul was previously Chair of the Cadwyn Board and prior to that chaired Cadwyn’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Paul is retired and has over 30 years’ experience in financial services. Paul is also an independent member of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee at Wales & West Housing.
Rachel Jones
Rachel joined the Newydd Housing Association Board in 2019 and was subsequently appointed as an Independent Member of the Cadarn Board in 2026. Rachel brings previous experience from the third sector, local government, Welsh Government and the NHS, where she worked across end of life care, health and social care integration, early intervention and prevention, and neighbourhood partnerships. She is currently the Head of Community Led Change (Wales) for the Lloyds Bank Foundation and a Trustee for Platfform, a Welsh mental health and social change charity.
Matt Brooks
Matt is an experienced strategic advisor. He brings to Newydd over 25 years of strategy, operational leadership and customer advocacy in high growth global businesses having held executive roles at OpenText and ResonateKT as well as senior roles in a large law firm, non-departmental regulatory public body and financial services. Matt joined the group board in September 2021.
Nick Lawley
Nick is a Director at Cooke & Arkwright Chartered Surveyors, based in Cardiff. He brings to Newydd almost 25 years of experience as a chartered surveyor advising on the sale and acquisition of land for residential development. Nick has been a member of the Board since September 2020.
Mandy Garrett
Mandy Garrett is an experienced technology, digital and transformation executive with over 20 years' experience across the housing, transport, public and financial services sectors. Currently IT and Digital Services Director at Transport for Wales, she brings board and executive level expertise in governance, risk, organisational transformation, customer service improvement, technology and digital innovation.
Steve Porter
Steve is an experienced executive and non-executive director with over 15 years’ senior leadership experience in the Welsh social housing sector, spanning housing, property and organisational development. He is passionate about creating positive workplace cultures and delivering high-quality services that make a meaningful difference to customers and communities. Steve joined the Board in October 2026.
Craig O'Donnell
Craig is an experienced technology leader and non-executive director with more than ten years’ board and committee experience in the housing and education sectors. He has held senior technology and transformation roles across the property and real estate sectors, including Chief Information Officer at Landsec and Group Innovation Director at Grosvenor.
Craig brings Cadarn expertise in digital transformation, customer engagement, cyber assurance, data, AI and technology-enabled service improvement. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at Delta Housing, where he chairs the Customer Experience Committee, and was previously a Non-Executive Director at Thrive Homes and a governor at Croydon College.
Craig has been a member of the Board since October 2026.
John Rees
John is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for Cadarn Group. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), he brings extensive experience in governance, risk management, treasury and financial leadership across the social housing, charity and utility sectors.
With more than 16 years' experience in finance, treasury and assurance roles, John has developed significant expertise in financial oversight, regulatory compliance and risk management. He has served on a number of boards and committees within the social housing and charitable sectors, including as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Barcud Group and Vice Chair and Trustee of The Care Society. Following the completion of the maximum permitted terms, he stepped down from both organisations in 2026.
In his career, John is currently Head of Finance at Plymouth Community Homes and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, where he leads finance, treasury and assurance functions. He works closely with boards and executive teams to support sound decision-making, organisational resilience and long-term financial sustainability. John is passionate about good governance, constructive challenge and helping organisations deliver lasting benefits for the communities they serve.
