Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team is the most senior decision-making group and operates collectively, concentrating on strategic issues affecting organisational performance. The Executive Leadership Team is supported by a Senior Leadership Team made up of heads of service across the organisation.
Interim Housing Ombudsman and Chief Operating Officer
Andrea Keenoy
Andrea was appointed as Interim Housing Ombudsman from 1 August 2026.
Andrea joined the Housing Ombudsman Service in September 2015 as the Director of Finance and Corporate Performance. She was Interim Housing Ombudsman for a short time and was then appointed as Chief Operating Officer.
She is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience. She previously worked for the National Audit Office (NAO) where she held roles overseeing the audits of a wide range of government departments and their arm’s-length bodies. She was also part of the technical support team, leading on a range of interventions aimed at improving governance, and was seconded to the House of Commons Scrutiny Unit.
Outside of work, Andrea is an Independent Commissioner the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and an Associate Governor at a maintained primary school, attending its Finance and Resources Committee. She is also a review team member of the International Ombudsman Institute’s peer review panel.
Director of Corporate Services and Change
Birgit Lenton
Birgit joined the Housing Ombudsman’s Executive Leadership Team in February 2025 with over 20 years experience in business transformation, change management, and leadership. She has a strong focus on culture, customer, people, and organisational development and continuous improvement.
Her roles saw her working for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for 12 years in a number of senior UK national roles and a 4-year stint as a Director of Corporate Services and Culture for a UK-based housing association. More recently, she worked for Eleco plc, a global software provider to the construction industry, as their Transformation Director and Imperial College London.
Working in corporate, operational and change roles in a number of countries, industries and sectors and leading large, multi-site and mobile customer-facing teams, Birgit brings a rounded transformation skill set to The Housing Ombudsman Executive Team. She continues updating her skills as a member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD) and by engaging with thought leaders in her network.
Director of Development
Paul Johnson
Paul joins us with more than 20 years’ leadership experience across regulatory bodies in the healthcare and security sectors. Most recently, he completed an interim assignment at the General Pharmaceutical Council, having previously spent 13 years at the Nursing and Midwifery Council and 9 years at the Security Industry Authority.
Throughout his career, Paul has led quality improvement, change management and policy development teams, and overseen large-scale operational services including registration, regulatory investigations and tribunal functions. He has a strong track record of bringing together stakeholder and colleague perspectives to drive business improvement in complex, high-volume environments.
Outside of work, Paul volunteers as a lay Council member at the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
Director of Dispute Support and Resolution
Justin Crittall
Justin joined the Housing Ombudsman Service in August 2023 as the Director of Dispute Support and Resolution. Justin brings over 15 years’ experience of working in social housing with 8 years’ experience working in a variety of both operational and strategic senior management positions. These roles have included overseeing large front line customer facing teams, leading complaint management functions and the delivery of transformational programmes.
Justin holds a degree in Psychology and is a member of the Charted Institute of People Development. Outside of work Justin has held positions as an Advisory Board member within a local council and a Trustee for a local food charity.
Director of Finance, Procurement, and Digital
Ben Taylor
Ben joined the Housing Ombudsman Service in September 2025 as the Director of Finance, Procurement and Digital. Ben is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in a variety of organisations. Ben joins from the social housing sector where he was Finance Director at a large housing association.
Ben started his career in public sector audit with the Audit Commission before moving on to social housing regulation and then housing finance consultancy work with the Chartered Institute of Housing. He has extensive experience of financial accounting, business planning, driving financial performance through business partnering and transforming teams through embracing technology to improve ways of working.
Director of Quality, Engagement and Development
Sara Jagger
Sara is joining the Housing Ombudsman Service on an interim basis, bringing extensive experience as a senior leader in complaints resolution and professional regulation.
She has direct experience of ombudsman work, having worked in her early career at the Housing Ombudsman Service when it was first established and was operating as the Housing Association Tenants’ Ombudsman. She also spent five years as an Assistant Ombudsman at the Prisons Ombudsman Office.
For nearly two decades Sara held senior leadership roles at the Bar Standards Board (the regulator of barristers in England and Wales) including Director of Professional Conduct and Director of Legal and Enforcement. In those roles, she had strategic and operational responsibility for the investigations, enforcement and legal functions.
Sara has particular experience in leading teams through change, improving performance and supporting staff in demanding, high-volume environments. She is interested in how organisations can combine excellent service, strong standards and accountability with a fair and supportive working culture.
Temporary Director – PRS Design and Implementation
Kevin Williamson
Kevin has been a Director at the Housing Ombudsman Service since July 2023 when the Housing Ombudsman asked him to build the case to government for the Housing Ombudsman to take on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Ombudsman Service. Since then, amongst other matters, he has overseen collaboration with the Ministry on design and planning for implementation of the new regime. Prior to this he served on the Housing Ombudsman Advisory Board between 2018 and 2023.
Kevin remains a member of the Ombudsman Panel at the Financial Ombudsman Service, which he joined in 2014. So, he brings valuable insight into dispute resolution in another sector. He is also a member of the Law Society’s Advisory Group, 21st Century Justice.
Kevin previously worked as a senior civil servant between 2004 and 2012 across several Whitehall departments. At the then Department for Communities & Local Government he set-up and ran the National Housing & Planning Advice Unit and the Infrastructure Planning Commission. And in his last role he was responsible for the sponsorship of Homes England.
Kevin has held several non-executive roles with housing associations and across the third sector.