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.
