Speakers

Lorna Walsh is a senior housing professional with over 20 years’ experience spanning new‑build delivery, customer care, and defect resolution across both social and private housing sectors. She is currently Head of New Homes & Customer Care at Peabody, with responsibility for new‑build homes across the South & Counties region, overseeing approximately 40,000 homes within Peabody’s wider 109,000‑home portfolio.
In her role, Lorna leads large multidisciplinary teams responsible for quality assurance, handovers, aftercare, defects management, and complaints across multiple tenures. Her remit covers the full customer journey from completion through occupation, with a strong focus on driving build quality, accountability, and regulatory compliance.
Lorna has played a pivotal role in establishing, reshaping, and maturing new homes and aftercare functions within organisations including Peabody, Catalyst, and the London Borough of Camden. Her work consistently centres on embedding robust, resident‑focused processes that strengthen contractor performance, improve outcomes for residents, and restore confidence in new‑build delivery.
A passionate advocate for socially driven housing, Lorna brings a pragmatic, frontline perspective to conversations on regulation, building safety, transparency, and cultural change. She is particularly skilled at bridging the gap between development, operational delivery, and lived resident experience making her a compelling voice on raising standards, compliance, and rebuilding trust in housing.