Our leadership team

Helen Forsyth has been the Chief Executive of Berwickshire Housing Association for over 10 years during which time Helen has inspired staff to become number 9 in the Sunday Times Best Companies not for profit section and provided the innovation in order to solve the problem of how to keep building new homes, at a time when funding was in decline with the ground breaking “Fisherman Three” Community Windfarm, near Cockburnspath.

Helen joined Berwickshire Housing Association from Places for People in 2007 in which her role was Regeneration Director and previously to this role Helen was the Chief Executive at Edinvar Housing Association. Helen’s background has involved working in the public sector, health and social care and not for profit organisations. Helen is the Chair of Resilient Scotland and the Scottish Borders Transport Advisory Group and was recently appointed to represent the third sector for the new South of Scotland Economic Partnership, a new initiative which will devise a fresh approach to the economic development of Scotland.

John is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is a graduate of Napier University where he achieved the Diploma in Personnel Management and then completed his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 2003. In 2011 John achieved a Post Graduate Certificate in Professional Coaching at Nottingham Trent University and in 2013 John became a qualified PRINCE 2 practitioner.

He joined the company in November 2005 and together with his previous work at Castle Rock Housing Association he has over 17 years Housing Association experience. Following 10 years service in the Royal Navy, he has worked in a number of sectors including Local Government, Not for profit and Social Housing and has a wide ranging background in Human Resources Management. His role includes overall responsibility for Resources, including HR, Information Communication Technology and Corporate Services. John is also the Company Secretary and takes the lead on Governance issues with the Trustees. Other duties include leading projects and John represents the Company on a number of external bodies.

Dan is Berwickshire Housing Association’s Operations Director with responsibility for the strategic delivery of all housing services and wider community initiatives.

Dan began his career in Glasgow’s East End with Milnbank Housing Association, progressing to West Lothian Housing Partnership, Barony Housing Association and latterly Loretto Housing Association, all part of Wheatley Group.

A proud member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIHM), Dan formerly sat on its Board over a two-year term. He has been involved in work with Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum for Housing Associations and more recently he has been an active contributor to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations ‘Innovation and Future Thinking’ programme.

Eleanor is Finance Director at BHA, joining the organisation in October 2018. She has overall responsibility for the delivery of accountancy and finance services within BHA and to our group entities.

Eleanor is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), being admitted to membership in 2014. She started her accountancy career with Baker Tilly (now RSM) where she progressed to audit manager, working across a range of corporate and not-for-profit clients, with a particular focus on housing associations. Whilst at Baker Tilly she delivered external and internal audit services and also undertook a number of secondments in the renewables and banking sector, with a housing association and with a non-departmental public body. Since then and prior to joining BHA, she has worked as a management accountant with an international animal health charity and finance manager with the Wheatley Group.

Angela is the Property Director, having joined BHA in July 2018. She is responsible for all aspects of property and asset management including new development, investment in existing stock, maintenance and compliance.

She has extensive knowledge of property, having worked in urban renewal and regeneration for the City of Edinburgh Council. Angela’s background includes property, housing and community regeneration, both with the Council and for several housing associations. She joined BHA from Grampian Housing Association where she was the Director of Housing & Property Services. She has over 25 years’ experience in social housing, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.