Our Board make the key decisions about the organisation and provide challenge and oversight over our staff team to ensure that all decisions and activity are in the best interests of our tenants.
David Leishman
Chair of the Board
David is a Qualified Accountant with ACCA, with a focus on Financial and Management Accounting, and has over 7 years of experience in the Social Housing sector in various Finance roles.
He was elected Chair at the recent HfL AGM and is excited to take on this new role, serving the tenants and other local stakeholders, delivering continued good governance of Homes for Life.
David currently lives in East Lothian and would like to contribute to his local community through Homes for Life.
Rob Hughes
Rob is a retired housing professional with 40 years experience working in various social housing roles, the last of those as Operations Manager for Hillcrest Homes, responsible for the management of 6,500 tenancies.
He has also previously served 12 years as a committee member of Rural Stirling Housing Association, and has served as a Scottish Housing Regulator board appointee to another Registered Social Landlord.
Jamila Greig
Jamila stepped down from the postition of Chair in 2024 and has been a Member since 2008.
As a tenant board member, she is passionate about our local area and delivering our promises to our tenants. She led the organisation through a difficult period in 2021/22 and continues to be a valuable member on our Board to help to grow Homes for Life and see it flourish.
Graeme MacGregor
Bio to follow
Debby Gillett
Vice Chair
Debby is a dedicated housing professional with 18 years of experience delivering services to social housing tenants across the Scottish Borders.
Debby was elected Vice Chair at the recent HfL AGM.
Currently working as a Development Manager Debby is regularly involved with contract management, acquisition, appraisal, negotiation, and the delivery of quality new build homes. Key aspects of Debby’s work are to develop strategy, policy and process to ensure compliance, value for money, and business growth.
Alistair Kettles
Originally from Dundee where he commenced his quantity surveyor training over 50 years ago with an East Lothian company. Subsequently moved to East Lothian where has lived over for 40 years.
Alistair is a highly experienced construction and property professional who has experience in the many sectors of the industry. New build housing has regularly featured and he has worked with several social housing providers and mainstream speculative developments both as a contractor and developer. He has extensive experience of working as an Executive Director board member and prior to retiring ran his own construction and property consultancy for over10 years.
Alistair retired after having a stroke and as part of his recovery goals he seeks voluntary opportunities to share his skillset to benefit others.
Jav Yaqub
Jav is an experienced IT professional having managed large enterprise infrastructures and platforms for 30 years for tier one organisations such as the NHS, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Glasgow City Council and many others. His specialism is in improving and renewing complex distributed IT platforms and services and he hopes to bring this experience to benefit Homes For Life with their aspirations on transforming their technology for the betterment of their customers.
Shamsu Rahman
Bio to follow
Scott Robertson
Scott has been working as a housing professional for 20 years within social housing delivering services in Edinburgh, East, Mid and West Lothian and the Scottish Borders.
Currently working as an Area Housing Manager Scott manages housing developments in Edinburgh involving allocations, rent arrears, staff and tenancy management service.
Scott aims to bring 20 years of working within social housing to help Homes for Life deliver more than homes for life.
Otis Berry
Bio to follow
The position of Secretary is held by the Chief Executive Officer.
Gill Binnie
Chief Executive Office
Gill has over 20 years’ experience leading the development and delivery of social and mid-market rent services in Scotland, with substantial experience of working in partnership with other RSL’s, Local Authorities, and Development Contractors on regeneration and new build projects, in Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders and East Lothian, including landmark affordable housing at Quartermile.
Strong focus on improving business efficiency, tenant services and the provision and supply of high-quality affordable homes.
Since taking up post as CEO for Homes for Life in November 2022, implemented 3-year business transformation programme Investment and Growth.
Investing in tenants’ homes, creating new housing opportunities, and working closely with partners to address the significant challenges facing affordable housing in East Lothian.
In 2024–25, implemented a new organisational structure and introduced number of operational changes including introduction a four-day working week in December 2024, allowing us to redirect resources from £4.5m savings over our 30-year plan to deliver planned and cyclical investment to our existing tenants’ homes.
In February 2025 created new subsidiary Homes for Life Plus to deliver and manage mid-market rent properties across the South East of Scotland, expanding the range of housing options we provide.