Senior Management Team

Tuntum has an experienced and highly-skilled Senior Management Team who oversee the operation of the business. 

Charmaine Simei

Chief Executive
Charmaine was Director of Customer Experience and Communities at Longhurst Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in social housing and related fields including 12 years in senior leadership roles. Voted Professional of the Year at the Women in Housing Awards 2021, she is a board member for Communities that Work, the national voice of housing providers who support residents and communities into employment. She is also a former chair of the Centre of Excellence Community Investment East of England network and co-chair of HACT’s Racial Equality Group, having been a long-serving mentor for the Housing Diversity Network.

Rafik Ghumra, FCCA

Director of Resources and Risk
Rafik is a Chartered Certified Accountant and has been the Director of Resources and Risk since the 16th March 2015. From 2007 to 2015 Rafik was the Head of Finance at Wellingborough Homes Ltd which is a large scale Voluntary Transfer Organisation created from the transfer of housing stock from the Borough Council of Wellingborough. Prior to that he was the Director of Resources at ASRA Midlands H.A. Ltd from 1991 to 2007. Rafik has also been a Board member of St Pancras Housing Trust and Rockingham Forest Housing Association during his career in housing.

Delores Vassell, BSc, PGCert

Head of Specialist Housing
Delores joined Tuntum in 1991 having previously worked for Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA). Became the Head of Women’s Services in 2000, working across a portfolio of services for women. In 2011, Delores became the Head of Specialist Housing Services following an organisational restructure and is responsible for our specialist housing projects, sheltered housing and our floating support teams. Delores has a BSc in Housing from DeMontfort University and PG Cert in Advanced Professional Practice (Social Care) from Nottingham Trent University.

Barrington Billings, BA (Hons), FCIH

Head of Asset Management and Development
Barrington began his senior housing career in 1990 as an Executive Director at Hallmark Community Housing. Since then, he has held senior executive-level posts at a number of Housing Associations, such as Prime Focus Group and Places for People Group and worked for the Housing Regulator as a Senior Stock Transfer Advisor. Barrington is currently Head of Asset Management and Development at Tuntum Housing Association. In terms of non-executive roles, he has served on the Boards of Gentoo Group, Chaired Arhag Housing and currently Chairs Manningham Housing. Barrington also served as a Board Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing for 8 years becoming President in 2005. Outside of sector he has also been an External Examiner at De Monfort University, a Non-executive Director for a NHS Hospital Trust and was Chair of the Joint Awarding Body of the Chartered Institute of Building from 2007-2008.

Jane Rocco, BA (Hons)

Finance Manager
Jane joined the association as a graduate trainee and has developed a progressive career at Tuntum Housing Association. Jane completed a Business and Finance degree at De Montfort University and has progressed from trainee to current role where she reports to the Director of Resources and Risk since 2015. Responsible for managing a team of 4 finance officers, production of annual accounts and overseeing audits, annual budgets and finance reports for management and board, treasury reports and other similar responsibilities. Part qualified.