Meet the Leadership Team

Andrew Géczy
CEO

Andrew is heylo’s CEO. In his 30-year career, he has held leadership and CEO positions across the world with a number of international financial brands. 

Most recently, Andrew was CEO for Terra Firma Capital Partners. Before this he had served as CEO International & Institutional Banking Division at Australia New Zealand Banking Group, responsible for wholesale and retail banking in 34 countries, as well as CEO Wholesale Banking and Markets for Lloyds Banking Group. In 2005, he also established Manresa Partners, a specialist investment advisory and asset management firm.

Andrew has served on the boards of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), as well as chairing the British Banking Association Committee on the Reformation of LIBOR. He is also one of the founders of humanitarian charity International Medical Corp UK. 

Why heylo?

I am passionate about making home ownership affordable. Through our home ownership schemes Home Reach and Your Home, we’re able to help families purchase a home they never thought they’d be able to live in.

What does home mean to you?

I have lived in many houses, however there is only one home to me – it’s wherever my family and friends come together.”

Peter Ralph
COO

Peter is heylo’s Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for coordinating the work of every team across heylo to ensure the successful delivery of our products to every homeowner and to our partnership clients, as well as to evaluate and enhance our services.

Prior to joining heylo, Peter has led operations teams across a number of businesses in the financial markets industry. He has established and executed projects and strategic programmes to add customer value, drive business growth and streamline internal processes.

Why heylo?

“heylo comprises a fantastic team of people committed to delivering a ‘best in class’ product in the shared ownership market. Our home ownership schemes present a truly exciting opportunity for our clients.” 

What does home mean to you?

“Home is the people inside, and everyone being content, happy and comfortable.”

Wayne Bennett
National Home Reach Director

Wayne is National Partnership Director. He leads heylo’s regional teams in identifying and meeting with new housebuilder partners across England to secure new deals for Home Reach. He also works alongside heylo’s housebuilder partners to coordinate a centralised approach to the delivery of Home Reach across their developments and regions.


Wayne has worked in the housebuilding industry since the age of 17. He joined heylo from a role as Sales Director at Bovis South West and before this, served as Sales Director and Head of Sales for major housebuilder brands including Barratt and Linden.

Why heylo?

“The housebuilding industry has been my entire career - I consider myself very lucky to work with so many developers in my current role. My heylo colleagues are as dynamic and as modern as the organisation itself, I’m always impressed by how quickly we can make decisions and diversify.”

What does home mean to you?

“Home, above all, is a sanctuary.”

Jonathan Conway
Corporate Finance Director

Jonathan is responsible for raising finance for heylo’s home ownership initiatives. He began his career in investment banking with Barclays Capital, where he worked for over 20 years specialising in real estate and structured finance. After a short stint working in private equity, Jonathan joined heylo in 2020. 

Why heylo?

heylo’s contribution to providing housing solutions and enabling more people to own a home was exciting and appealing, especially after 20 years at the ‘pointy end’ of finance! I also enjoy working for a company of this size – it is small enough to know everyone, yet large enough to embrace innovation and make waves across the industry.

What does home mean to you?

Home to me is where a dog’s tail is wagging to welcome you back, where I park my many bicycles, and where family like to sit around and not do very much at all!

Melissa Toomey
Director of Sales

Melissa leads heylo’s national sales teams to support our housebuilder partners with the successful delivery of heylo’s Home Reach solution across their developments, providing ongoing training, guidance and support until every property is sold. She is also responsible for overseeing heylo’s progression team at head office, who manage and process each Home Reach reservation through to completion. 


Melissa has been a part of the housebuilding industry for 25 years. She began her career with Peabody Housing Association, where she was a part of the core team that established and evolved Peabody’s shared ownership offering. After 14 years there, Melissa took a role at Hastoe, a national Housing Association, specialising in sales, before joining heylo four years ago. 

Why heylo?

“It is such a fantastic feeling when our customers are handed their keys to their new home, especially those who never thought they could get onto the housing ladder.  Nothing makes me – or my team – prouder than if someone says, ‘we could never have bought a home without heylo’. It inspires and motivates us to help more people!”

What does home mean to you?

“A Sunday roast with all the family. We always serve at 3.30pm, and nobody is allowed to miss it, not even for golf!”

Paul Ruston
Portfolio Director PRS

Paul Ruston is Portfolio Director for the private rented sector (PRS). He is responsible for leading and expanding heylo’s single family rental sector business to provide more much-needed, high quality housing in this area.

 

Paul was previously Director of PRS for Grainger plc and Fund Manager for their PRS REIT joint venture with pension investor APG. During his tenure, the fund listed as a REIT on the international stock exchange and was also the Global ESG Benchmark for Real Assets’ sector leader in 2017 and 2018. Before this, Paul held roles at Lloyds Banking Group and Allsop Residential Investment Management specialising in large-scale investment portfolios for corporate and institutional investors.


Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and an Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Why heylo?

“I am excited to be a part of an incredibly experienced and collaborative team providing such innovative, market-leading housing solutions.”

What does home mean to you?

“Home is a place which means happiness, security and relaxation.”

Wendy Fry
Chief Risk Officer

Wendy is heylo's Chief Risk Officer. She ensures that heylo's business model is defined and robust on behalf of the Board, heylo's regulators, investors and other stakeholders, and that the company is well prepared to identify and manage risks. Wendy’s role is to ensure that good risk management is integral across all aspects of heylo’s operations. 

Wendy began her career as a chartered accountant with KPMG. She held positions in financial planning and analysis for national and global firms before moving into the risk management arena whilst at ING Direct, then most recently with TSB and Family Building Society, where she was Chief Risk Officer. 

Why heylo?

"I believe in heylo’s mission and its objectives. The people here truly want to do good, which is so appealing and incredibly motivating.”

What does home mean to you?

"My home is my sanctuary. Home is a warm, loving place – where you can shut the door on the world!”

Tim Willcocks
Director of Public Sector Engagement

Tim is heylo’s Director of Public Sector Engagement. He is responsible for managing key relationships with Government, Homes England and the Regulator of Social Housing, as well as local authorities across the country.

Tim has over 25 years’ experience in the property world, including sales and marketing, development, consultancy and housing policy. He joined the affordable housing sector in 2007, and has worked for the Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England) and for Housing Associations at Executive Director and Board level.

Why heylo?

I love the energy and passion, a small but dedicated team making a profound difference in the sector. Having worked in affordable housing for a number of years, heylo was an opportunity too good to miss.

What does home mean to you?

A home creates opportunity. It provides stability, safety and security, and a chance to grow.

Graham Bennett 
Director of Property Management

Graham Bennett is the Director of Property Management. Has day to day responsibility for delivering customer services to both leaseholders and tenants during their time with heylo.

Graham’s background is in the housing association sector and he specialised in non-social rented housing products and services in the early 1990s.  He has worked at a senior level for community, regional and national Registered Providers in North West England including Equity Housing, Riverside, Regenda and Plumlife.  Graham has considerable experience in intermediate tenures including shared ownership and shared equity products along with retirement housing solutions.  In addition he has worked on the former Housing Market Renewal initiative (HMR) and acquired and managed a letting agency business during his time at Regenda. Prior to joining heylo, Graham has been working for a firm of chartered surveyors heading up the Block Management business in London and the South East for the past 2+ years.


Why heylo?

"I am a strong advocate of shared ownership having developed, sold and manged the product for nearly 30 years. Having witnessed the excesses and greed in elements of the UK housing market moving back into an organisation whose mission is to help those on modest incomes to become a home owner was a no brainer. heylo excels at delivering affordable solutions for aspiring home owners. 

What does home mean to you?

"Home is where you feel safe, secure and comfortable. Home is a place where you can close the door on the outside world.  Home is where you can be you.

Dan Jones 
Director of Marketing

A property marketeer with 15-years’ experience working on advertising campaigns for PLC developer brands and affordable home providers alike.   My key strength is devising and implementing integrated digital marketing campaigns that resonates with our customer and inspires them to get moving! 

Why heylo?

"I am passionate about ensuring as many people as possible can own their own home.  From the moment I discovered heylo it was clear this progressive brand was offering new and innovative ways in extending home ownership to more people, and I’m proud to be part of the brand and the passionate team that is driving it forwards.

What does home mean to you?

"Home is far more than just bricks and mortar, it’s the sum of memories, emotions, hopes, ambitions and dreams.