Our Board

Pam Smith – Chair

Pam has a wealth of experience in social care and health at an executive level, and has had a number of roles as a non executive in health and housing. Her most recent role was with Cheshire CCG which focused on resident engagement, involvement and experience. 

Pam is passionate about addressing inequalities and ensuring homes and residents are safe, healthy and well, and puts tenant involvement and harnessing the skills of local people and volunteers at the centre of developing services. 

Elaine Johnstone – Deputy Chair

Elaine, who is a pharmacist by background, held senior roles in NHS commissioning organisations for over 20 years. She led several teams and programmes across both Lancashire and Cheshire, working in partnership with a range of organisations. Elaine has been a trustee of a health and social care charity for 7 years, and a non-executive director in a housing association since 2023. Elaine runs her own executive coaching company, coaching individuals and teams to work in ways that maximise their performance.

Elaine is passionate about the ability that good quality affordable housing has on making a positive impact on health and wellbeing and forming a foundation for healthy lives.

Elaine is the Board member responsible for complaints.

Wes Baker

Wes is currently Director of Strategic Analytics, Economics and Population Health Management for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. He is the lead for some ground-breaking projects in north Liverpool, which are national pilots for promoting independence for older and vulnerable residents through digital innovation, and improving service provision for families with complex issues, many of whom live in the Cobalt areas.
Wes is Chair of Cobalt’s Audit and Risk Committee.

He is passionate about Cobalt’s communities and the need to make a positive impact in addressing the impact of the pandemic, debt, crime and violence on health outcomes. Wes recognises Cobalt’s strong community focus and wants to use his networks and role to support Cobalt to transform our communities. 

Mark Patchitt

Mark has thirty-seven years’ experience in the social housing sector, operating at Director level for the past twenty leading on a range of regeneration and development programmes at Green Square Accord and Riverside Housing. He is now focusing his time in non executive roles including recently being appointed to the board at Great Places Housing Group.

Mark is Chair of Cobalt’s Investment and Development Committee.

Liam Knowles

Liam is currently Director of Finance and Operations for the Leading Learners Multi Academy Trust and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and member of the Chartered Management Institute. 

Prior to moving to the education sector, Liam worked across a variety of finance functions for national and regional housing providers based in the North West for eleven years. Liam has specialist knowledge of large development and asset projects, budgetary control and risk management. 

Liam is passionate about improving the opportunities and aspirations for residents of North Liverpool, he grew up in neighbouring Kirkby and maintains strong ties to the area. 

Helen Ward

Helen is currently the Executive Director of Resources at Livv Housing Group. Helen has previously been a leader of strategic workforce transformation and culture change across the housing sector as well as local government and the private sector. Helen is Chair of Cobalt’s People and Remuneration Committee.

Her experience includes time as a Group People Director (where she gained her FCPID qualification) as well as a number of years leading change at the Regulator of Social Housing. Helen began her career as a psychologist, working in the NHS and criminal justice system and is passionate about understanding people and delivering effective change. Helen is committed to driving change in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion and improving outcomes for both customers and colleagues. 

Zoe Carmichael

Zoe is Head of Customer Safety at Great Places Housing Group. She has spent the majority of her 24 year housing career working in asset management and is passionate about ensuring safe, attractive and well maintained homes for residents.

In the last six years she worked at Alpha Living, a specialist provider of housing for later living, where Zoe gained valuable experience of new build and development, fire safety and building safety projects.  

James Anderson

James is the Chief Information Officer (CTO) of Accent Housing, joining the organisation in June 2024.  James has spent a career in the public and third sectors, most recently as the Group IT Director of The Guinness Partnership. Prior to this, he spent a couple of years with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC). 

The first 17 years of James’ career were spent in the British Army, serving with the Royal Corps of Signals and Queens Gurkha Signals in various corners of the globe mostly on operations providing communications, computing and headquarters support, notably in Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, United Kingdom, Kuwait and USA. 

Ibrahim Ismail

Ibrahim Ali Ismail (Ibby) has over twenty years of experience working locally, regionally and nationally in the Voluntary and Community Sector in the field of community development. Ibby has held or holds director positions at Bolton CVS, Mosscare St Vincent Housing Association and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Ibrahim’s passion is to enable public and other institutions to be active anchor institutions that are rooted in the local community. 

Ibby is Chair of Homes and Neighbourhoods Committee.

Kalumba Musambachime: Trainee Board Member 

Kal is Head of Sales and Build to Rent at Sovereign Network Group. He joined Network Homes (now part of Sovereign Network Group) in 2017 and is responsible for Sales and Marketing, Staircasing and Resales, and the operational management of the Build to Rent and London Living Rent portfolios. His role sits within the Investment and Development directorate. Kal is a qualified chartered surveyor (MRICS) and holds undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications in both Real Estate and Business studies. He spent the early part of his career in the private rental sector, gaining valuable operational and investment management experience through previous roles at various organisations including Grainger Plc. 

Kal is passionate about the part new build development has to play in helping to plug the national housing gap and is keen on adding value through his development, sales and operational management experience.