Board members

The Solon Board is made up of a maximum of 12 volunteers. Below are our Board Member profiles.

JAMES TAYLOR Chair	James was appointed Chair of Solon and United Communities' Boards in September 2020 after it was agreed that the two housing associations will enter into a strategic alliance. James is a Chartered Surveyor and Managing Director of ADAPT Real Estate. He has worked professionally in Bristol for twenty years and has an in-depth knowledge of the property market in the city and beyond. James' experience in site acquisition, financing, joint venture structuring, development and asset management risks has provided Board level support to United Communities' Development and Executive teams since 2015. Since 2012, James has also been a Visiting Fellow in Real Estate at University of West of England.
GILL RISDALE Board Member and Vice-Chair of Solon	Gill joined the Board in November 2015, wanting simply to make a difference. She has worked in both private and public services for over twenty five years, holding a variety of roles with Housing and Highways and Transportation. She is currently a Business Growth Director at WSP, an engineering consultancy, and is based in Bristol. Her experiences include housing management and preventing homelessness as well as being responsible for delivering a variety of services to local communities, developing training and improving employees' health, safety and wellbeing. Now that her children are grown up she wants to devote some time for the good of the community.
RICHARD MARSHALL Board Member and Chair of Governance & Remuneration Committee	Richard is a solicitor with over 20 years' property litigation experience. He is a senior associate at DAC Beachcroft in Bristol specialising in real estate disputes resolution. He joined Solon's Board as he is committed to the provision of good quality affordable housing, and wants to help Solon provide that for as many people as possible. Richard lives and works in Bristol. He joined the Board in 2014.
FAYE GREENWAY Board Member and Chair of Audit & Risk Committee	Faye also joined the Board in September 2020. Faye is a Chartered Accountant who trained in public sector audit and is currently a Senior Finance Manager at BT. She has also worked in financial services for many years in finance and commercial roles and has served on the board of a large corporate pension scheme. She brings this experience to the board along with a passion for social justice and access to good quality housing for all.
STEPHEN COOK Board Member	Stephen joined the Board in 2016. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He was the CEO of Valleys to Coast, a stock-transfer housing association in South Wales from 2008-2018. He is now a housing consultant with a wide range caseload. His housing career started in the early 1980s in local government working in Bristol, Sussex, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire before joining Fosseway Housing Association in 1997. Stephen also has a BA(Hons) degree in German (Warwick University) and a post graduate Diploma in Management Studies (University of the West of England). Born, bred and still living in Bristol, Stephen hopes his skills and experience on the Solon Board will help make a difference to local people’s lives.
SARAH TALBOT-WILLIAMS Board Member	Sarah joined the Board in September 2020 as Senior Independent Director of Solon and United Communities, and is also a member of our Governance & Remuneration Committee. Sarah has a broad range of NED experience including the Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group and local charity One25 and ACVCO. Until 2017, Sarah was Chief Executive of Above & Beyond, NHS Charity for University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. As well as her NED roles, Sarah runs her own strategic and governance consultancy, providing advice, solutions and mentoring for executive teams and boards of charities and charitable foundations. Sarah lives just outside Bath.
MIKE GRIST Board Member	Mike is Regeneration Director at Curo Group with over 25 years’ experience in housing association regeneration, development and asset management. Prior to this he worked for ten years in construction and consultancy. He is an incorporated member of the Chartered Institute of Building. Mike passionately believes that a good quality home is one of the key factors for a successful and happy life and is keen to use his skills and experience on the board to help make this happen. Outside of housing Mike is a keen motorcyclist as well as an avid Scotland Rugby supporter. Mike joined the Board in 2018.