Mike Finister-Smith | Our Board

What do you enjoy about the social housing sector?

Most people in the sector have strong social values, they are doing it for a reason. You do it because you like your work and delivering things. I am a qualified accountant, but that is not really my makeup. I am more about what is delivered.

What do you like about Trent & Dove?
It's a respectful group of people who work together well, but we are all professionals who make proper decisions for the good of the organisation.

I look at how people work in a group and their attitudes, which are led from the top, and that works well here.

What's been your proudest moment on the Board?

We have set up a structure for customers to better access the Board and engage with the organisation.

Another moment was the reason the regulator previously downgraded us. Their reasoning was that we had taken a financial risk, but that was the right thing, and we were proud of it as a group. We agreed to say we're here for a purpose. We could sit and say, ‘No, don't build any houses. Don't spend any money in the community; we'll be financially viable’. But what's the point of that? We won't do things.

What do you think about our community support work?
I've always chosen housing associations that do a lot in the community. A housing association is not just a landlord collecting rent and building a few houses; it has to improve people’s lives.

The work Trent & Dove does, supports the homeless, providing advice or even building homes that suit different typographies. Trent & Dove’s mission is transforming homes, lives and communities. To me, that's what it's all about.

Why is our tenancy sustainment strategy so important to our customers?

It is about compassion. We make no judgement. People who do it have compassion. We look at how we can do our best to help people. We are not here to evict people.

How does the Board ensure we're embracing ED&I?
We have a policy outlining our intentions and gathering evidence of how we comply with all the statutory requirements. This policy ensures we comply with sex discrimination and disability requirements, for example. But you have to show you are walking the walk and talking the talk. So, we've got practical evidence, through regular reporting, evidence gathering and compliance reports, of embracing equal opportunities and providing the facilities needed for our customers and staff to ensure their quality of life.

Do you have a favourite quote or philosophy that inspires you?

‘Start with the end in mind’. I'm always thinking ‘this is where I've got to get to, where I'm going to get to it, what am I trying to achieve and why?’ That is something that drives my decision-making and keeping the customers at the heart of everything we do.