Zebra Postgraduate Student Accommodation
Senior Management
Matt Townsend – Chief Executive
Matt joined Zebra in 2023, having previously worked as Chief Executive in charity and social housing sectors. Matt leads the organisation on a day to day basis and works with The Board to develop the long term strategy.
Steve Musham – Head of Resident Services
Steve has worked for Zebra for over 30 years and has worked with international students for 40 years – the majority of his working life. His higher education qualifications are in English and Education, and he is a keen musician.
Heidi Southren – Head of Properties
Heidi has worked for Zebra for over 20 years. Having trained and exhibited as a potter she went on to work in arts administration and then joined Zebra.
Alex Stewart – Maintenance Manager
As a contractor Alex oversaw the renovation of our office a few years ago and the renovation and newbuild scheme at Anson Road. When the opportunity arose, we employed him directly as our Maintenance Manager and he’s now been with Zebra for over 5 years.
The Board
Zebra’s Board are responsible for the governance and oversight of the organisation. The Board meet regularly and set the strategy with the Chief Executive.
Alison Ahearn – Board Member
Alison is an academic teaching construction law and management at Imperial College London. She also develops space-themed learning to encourage children into science and engineering, with ProEdetal (“Professional Education et al”).
Zamzam Ahmed – Board Member
Zamzam first moved to the U.K. as an international postgraduate student and is an alumni resident of Zebra Housing Association. She is a senior academic in higher education with a vast experience in teaching and mentoring international students. Zamzam sits on various academic and educational boards.
Rebecca Coxhead – Co-Chair
Rebecca has worked in social housing for over 7 years and specialises in governance having previously worked in the higher education sector in the UK and NZ. Rebecca has experience in the charity sector through sitting on various boards throughout her career.
Paul Van Driessche – Co-Chair
Paul has been a supporter of Zebra for nearly 20 years and joined the Board in 2019 where he now serves as Co-Chair. He was a Visiting Researcher at Imperial College London, Centre for Environmental Policy, and is currently carrying out post-doctoral research in climate smart approaches to sustainable agriculture in the Maldives. Paul also serves as the British Honorary Consul to the Maldives and was made an MBE in this role in 2021.
OUR WARDENS
Every one of our schemes has a resident Warden and Deputy Warden.
Wardens are selected because they have experience in working with international students, and are, or have been, students themselves.
Primarily, the warden is there to deal with emergencies, particularly out of normal working hours. However, they can also help residents with advice and information during the pandemic and in extreme cases, when authorised by Zebra can help isolating and quarantining residents with basic supplies. In essence Wardens are responsible for maintaining a quiet and safe building for residents and their dependents.
If residents have an emergency, outside of normal working hours, they should contact their warden, who keeps a list of emergency telephone numbers and contacts. If a resident cannot locate their warden and it is an emergency requiring the police, ambulance, or fire service then they should ring 999 and give details of the situation. The warden does not deal with maintenance issues unless it is an emergency and it is out of working hours. Wardens have full-time responsibilities of their own and are not generally available at the residence during the day.