Our Executive Leadership Team includes a Chief Executive, two Executive Directors, an Assistant Director and four Heads of Service who specialise in managing different areas of our organisation.
Mark Pearson
Chief Executive
Mark joined the organisation in August 2026 and brings nearly 30 years of experience in social housing. He previously served as Chief Executive of Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association as well as Managing Director of 54North Homes. Mark is passionate about delivering high-quality homes and services, with a strong focus on customers, communities and creating safe, healthy places to live.
Paul Edwards
Executive Director, Customer Experience & Corporate Support
Paul has joined our organisation in February 2024, and has spent the last 35 years working in housing. Paul started out as a frontline Housing Officer in a local authority before moving into a policy role with the Commission for Racial Equality.
Darren Baggs
Executive Director of Operations
Darren has worked in the Housing sector for nearly 30 years, starting his career as a trades operative, and then worked on various supervision and management roles within property and asset management.
Becci Youlden
Head of Customer Experience
Becci has worked in the social housing sector for over 20 years in a variety of roles including customer experience, business improvement and transformation, housing management, community development and engagement, estate management and various development projects.
The main driver for Becci working in social housing is the contribution customer experience and engagement makes. Our residents voices should be central to the work we do, to build thriving communities.
Becci is responsible for the customer experience function which includes the contact centre, complaints, customer service, communications, resident engagement, and wider community activities and development including our Localities programme. She also leads on the Business Intelligence function, Business Transformation and Service Improvement.
Carol Trappett
Head of Housing
Carol has worked in the social housing sector for more than 30 years. The majority of those years were spent at Solihull MBC and SCH, with 8 years working for a Midlands housing association overseeing the Customer Experience directorate.
During Carol’s many years at Solihull, she worked across a broad range of housing management services. Carol’s service in the social housing sector has helped strengthen her knowledge around the challenges and rewards of working in social housing, and helping to ensure that that organisation not only meets the expectations of the Regulator of Social Housing but that it continually strives to improve its services to customers, working in close partnership with our stakeholders.
Carol oversees our service delivery of Homelessness, Allocations, Tenancy and Neighbourhood Management, tenure neutral Anti-Social Behaviour, Income and Rent Services, Money Advice, Right to Buy and Leaseholder Management.
Samantha Gilbert (SMBC)
Assistant Director of Finance and Property Services
Samantha is responsible for Financial Management and Procurement.
Gwen Haq
Head of Asset Management and Development
Gwen joined SCH at the end of September 2026, bringing experience from local government, housing and private sector. She has previously worked for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Birmingham City Council, focusing on capital investment, log-term housing plans, energy efficiency and service improvement.
Gwen is passionate about making informed investment decisions, improving homes and services, and ensuring resources are being used effectively to deliver lasting benefits for residents.
Darren Dunphy
Head of Property Services and Building Safety
Darren joined SCH at the start of September 2026, bringing experience in housing and property services. He previously worked at Black Country Housing Group as Head of Repairs and Maintenance, with a focus on maintaining safe, well-managed homes and delivery high-quality services.
Darren believes in working collaboratively, listening to different perspectives and continually looking for ways to improve services for residents.