Our people

Annette Giles

Non-Executive Director

Annette is a multi-skilled, CIPD qualified HR professional, with 15 years’ experience, including 13 years working for social housing providers. She has an extensive knowledge of working practices and employment law.

Annette sees her role as Non-Executive Director as an exciting opportunity to make use of her professional skills and experience whilst helping to influence the growth of Empanda, working with a talented and committed management team who reflect her own personal values.

Clare Carr

Chair

Appointed the inaugural Chair in May 2016, Clare leads the Board in fulfilling its strategic responsibilities and objectives as a registered Community Interest Company. Clare is a chartered accountant with 20 years of corporate finance experience working in both profit and not-for-profit sectors. She has extensive knowledge of the financial and business operations of the Care and Support Services sector, having worked in the industry for over 10 years, and is passionate about maximising Empanda’s role in the community.

Currently Clare holds the position of Head of Finance at a corporate travel management company and is responsible for the financial operations of the business with a turnover c.£225m.

Sue Philp

Non-Executive Director

Appointed as Non-Executive Director in April 2018, Sue is a housing professional with 37 years of housing management experience both within the private and social housing sectors.

Until December 2017, Sue held the position of CEO with Suffolk Housing, where she was responsible for leading the Executive Team in the delivery of strategic and business plan objectives.

Sue has previously served on the board of two housing associations.

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Ben Hughes

Executive Director

Ben is currently responsible for Empanda’s portfolio of specialist services for young people, which range from intensive support placements to move-on accommodation and resettlement support, and he has responsibility for the development and delivery of the support services and interventions for 16 to 24 year olds with a range of complex support needs.

As well as heading up our young people’s services, Ben’s portfolio includes a number of central service functions including IT, insurance, repairs and maintenance, housing management and health and safety.

In previous roles Ben has been involved in the development of an accredited life skills course for young people and more recently, established a bicycle recycling workshop, training young people in a range of skills.

A former youth and community worker, Ben has been working in accommodation-based services for vulnerable young people for over 22 years.

Kerrie Good

Director (Learning Difficulties)

Kerrie has day to day responsibility for the operation of Empanda’s services for adults with a learning difficulty, both in residential respite care and our supported living services.

Prior to joining Empanda, Kerrie worked for the Flagship Group for 22 years as Operations Manager for learning difficulty services. She has 37 years’ experience working with people with learning difficulties and is a CQC Registered Manager. She holds an NVQ Level 4 and Registered Managers Award, as well as a D32 and D33 Assessors Award in health and social care and lectured at City College for two years in this field.

Prior to her role with the Flagship Group, Kerrie worked within Social Services and the NHS.

Paula Armenis

Head of Business Services

Paula’s role within Empanda is to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the organisation, ensuring that staff have the right resources at their disposal to carry out their roles effectively. She works alongside our corporate partners, Board and external agencies.

With a background in PR and Marketing, Paula will help Empanda to become a recognised and well respected provider in the sector.

Prior to joining Empanda, Paula was Head of Marketing and Communications with the Flagship Group, where she worked for 22 years.

Sally Hanlin

Managing Director

As Managing Director, Sally has day-to-day and strategic responsibility for Empanda and will seek to develop, grow and continually improve the services we provide.

Previously, Sally was Head of Care & Support at the Flagship Group, where she was responsible for a diverse portfolio of care and support services, employing 270 staff and offering a service to almost 4,000 customers. Sally worked for Flagship for 15 years.

Before moving to East Anglia, Sally worked for a specialist Registered Provider offering a range of services for single homeless people in the East End of London.

Sally is currently Chair of a charity and Registered Provider with properties and services for homeless and vulnerable people across Norfolk and Suffolk.