Our Team

Jill is an accomplished chief executive and housing professional with extensive leadership skills, knowledge and experience. Having spent the majority of her 43yr housing career in social housing, her experience has included a path of continuous learning in organisations of varying structures, size and capacity, which has afforded her a diverse range of skills across housing association, local authority and the private sector.

Throughout her career, her enthusiasm for excellence in leadership has inspired her to develop further and to develop others. Jill’s work on leading and empowering staff and regenerating communities has attracted both regional and national recognition, including various personal and organisational awards. The story surrounding the success of her leadership approach in Byker, Newcastle, has been included as a chapter in a book titled ‘Hope Under Neoliberal Austerity’ published in April 2021.

Jill’s role as the chief executive of a high profile housing association for over nine years, provided her with in-depth and specialist knowledge of strategic leadership, culture, planning, good governance, assurance, risk management, community regeneration, resident involvement and co-creation.

Jill is the Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, she has also served as a Non-Exec Director in a large NHS Mental Health, Foundation Trust, where she chaired the People, Culture and Diversity Committee and was the NED Wellbeing Guardian. Additionally, Jill has worked alongside a national Child Poverty Charity, to raise awareness and valuable funding to help support the most vulnerable children/young people and families throughout the UK.

A Yorkshireman, Paul joined the Army in 1980 and retired from it in 2014. In his 34 years in the Army he was based in West Germany for 6 years and in every ‘corner’ of England but the North East.  Yet, in common with the vast majority of Ex-Armed Forces personnel, he has returned to his roots and now lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Whilst serving in the Army Paul specialised in combat logistics, strategic planning and Defence Engagement.  Much of the latter half of his career was spent in Tri-Service appointments.  He spent almost 7years in operational theatres and his last two such appointments were as the Deputy Commander British Forces in Afghanistan and Defence Attaché, Baghdad; his last appointment prior to retirement.

Paul has been the Chief Executive of the North of England Reserve Forces’ and Cadets‘ Association since September 2016. Headquartered in Durham, NE RFCA supports Reserve Forces, Cadets and supportive Employers from the Scottish Border to just North of Catterick Garrison.

Paul is proud to be an Honorary Member of the Darlington Business Club, a Trustee of the North of England Cadet Forces’ Trust and of the Regimental and Chattels Charity of the former Durham Light Infantry and a Patron of the newly re-titled Viking Boatbuilders.

Ken McMillan joined as a soldier at 17 and rose through the ranks to become a commissioned officer in 2006, having served in all major conflicts since the Falklands War. In October 2009 and after 25 years’ service, Ken left the Regular Army and in partnership with Nick Tubbs, he set up AFV Estates Ltd and the veterans’ charity AF&V Launchpad Ltd. Ken was awarded an MBE in 1998 for services to the Army and was appointed a Prime Minister’s ‘Point of Light’ in 2017. He continues to serve as a Major in the Army Reserves and is currently deployed to the British Army Training Unit in Suffield, Canada.

Richard Dixon-Warren was appointed as a Launchpad Trustee in May 2017 following the completion of 40 years’ service in the Army.

Born and bred in Africa, Richard served across the globe on operations, garrison and training duties, and exchange and loan service. His last appointment was as a Joint Regional Liaison Officer, the military focal point for emergency planners in the East of England for the Defence contribution to resilience, including military aid.

Richard enjoys the freedom and challenges that life outside the Army brings. He continues to serve, however. In addition to Launchpad, he sits on the Lincolnshire Committee of the Army Benevolent Fund, is Chairman of his local Parish Council, Secretary of the Parochial Church Council and chairs the Lincolnshire Police Independent Advisory Group. He is a rural District Councillor and Armed Forces Champion in South Kesteven and chairs the Lincolnshire Armed Forces Community Covenant Partnership. In his spare time, he is an amateur family and local historian.

Mark Underhill served 35 years in the British Army and became a colonel. Initially commissioned into the Royal Corps of Transport, which then became the Royal Logistic Corps, he completed tours in Cyprus, Germany, UK and three tours in Hong Kong.

He left the Army in 2013 and has remained working for the Ministry of Defence, currently as chief executive of the Reserve Forces’ & Cadets’ Association for the North West of England & the Isle of Man.

Mark was awarded an MBE while working in the Ministry of Defence and then an OBE for his support to Operation TELIC. He is currently the Honorary Colonel for 158 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps, a Trustee for the Hong Kong Locally Employer Personnel Trust and President of the Movement Control Warrant Officers Dinner Club. In April 2019, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside.

Mark is married to Debbie. They have two sons, who have both served in the Army and he is passionate about sport. His hobbies are cricket and rugby.

Sarah-Louise McCartney is the owner and founder of SLMC-Consulting, established in 2018.

As a marketing professional, working in the construction and building products industry for circa 22 years with senior management experience and board-level exposure across all aspects of strategic and operational management, Sarah has significant cross-functional experience in Marketing, Sales and Customer service.

She also holds roles as the Chairperson for BITA Liverpool – a global business networking organisation, an advisory board member for Women of Irish Heritage alongside being a director/company secretary for local Liverpool charity Sunflowers (Liverpool Cancer Care) where she is able to use the wide experience to support both members and clients to gain the best support.

Ian has a diverse background in public service, education and engineering. He serves as an independent member of the Audit & Risk Committee for Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council and is Director of Herbert Dove Trustees, overseeing JT Dove – a significant builder’s merchant.

Ian is also the managing director and owner of Rosh Engineering Ltd which specialises in high-voltage equipment across the UK and Northern Europe.

His previous leadership roles extend to the educational sector as Chair of the Primary Science Teaching Trust and Non-Executive Chair of Newcastle College. With experience on various boards, including the Institute of Directors and Regional Development Agency ONE North East, Ian combines strategic oversight with entrepreneurial acumen, making him a prominent figure in both for-profit and non-profit sectors.

Katherine is a highly experienced professional with Human Resources and Organisational Development experience, particularly in the housing sector where she is currently Director of People Services at North Star Housing Group, a role she has held for almost 13 years.

She has also owned her own business offering HR, coaching and training to North East businesses and held various senior roles. Katherine’s expertise encompasses strategic change management, policy development and performance management and this will be her first non-executive role.

Aaron works as a senior manager at PwC – a leading global firm in professional services and consulting. His experience encompasses managing significant accounts in the financial sector, particularly with a UK retail bank, and implementing large-scale transformations.

He specialises in internal audits and health & safety and has worked in regulated environments in the public sector. His appointment as a Trustee of Launchpad is his first non-executive role.

Chris is an accomplished executive with over 38 years’ experience in the social housing sector, 20 of which have been at a senior level as Director of Service in various functions. Chris is currently employed as Deputy Chief Executive of Thirteen Housing Group and has a very impressive track record in business development and community regeneration.

James served in 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. During that mission, he stood on an IED which exploded.  He lost both of his legs and suffered a broken pelvis and tail bone.

In 2018, he was selected to represent Team GB at the Invictus Games in Sydney competing in the wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, gaining silver and bronze medals respectively. In September 2019, he became the first military double amputee to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Royal Artillery veteran, Dan Smith served 14 years as an adventure PTI and GMLRS Commander in the British Army, completing military tours of Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

Seven years after leaving the military and to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, he kayaked solo the length of Britain in a bid to raise £25,000 for The Royal British Legion.

The 998-mile ‘Paddle of Britain’ challenge saw him set off from the top of Scotland in 2018 and paddle via inland waterways to the south coast of England. It took him 53 days to complete the challenge raising a staggering £27,000.