About Allegra Care

Helen had a 20 year career in the Australian care and senior living sector before transferring to the UK in 2017. In the senior living sector Helen has held the senior roles of General Manager for Tricare Nursing Homes (1,200 Residents), Chief Operations Officer for Domain Principal Group (5,000 Residents) and Executive for Strategy, Standards and Service Development with Australian Unity Independent and Extra Care (3,000 residents, 55,000 home care clients). Helen has undertaken global research to shape her award winning residential care service model. Helen was the first aged care recipient of the Endeavour Executive Australia Award, and is a Board member of the Common Age Association, a charitable organisation focused on improving aged care standards in all Commonwealth countries.
Helen is a Director of Seniors Living Group and Chief Operations Officer of Allegra’s sister business Amicala.

Michael has spent the last 7 years in the senior living sector and has 30 years’ experience in the finance sector. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG. He was formerly Head of Group Mergers and Acquisitions at UBS, having started his career at Morgan Grenfell in London. Michael has been involved in a wide range of corporate advisory assignments, including IPOs and restructurings.
Michael is a Director of Seniors Living Group and Chief Financial Officer of Allegra’s sister business, Amicala.

Paul has spent the last 7 years in the senior living sector and has 30 years of management experience. He was a partner at Q Street Capital and co-owner of Matrix Alternative Asset Management. He began his career at Barclays Capital, where he was Deputy Head of Equities Trading globally and Head of Equity and Derivatives Trading at BZW Japan.
Paul is Chairman of Seniors Living Group and Chief Executive Officer of Allegra’s sister business Amicala.

Mark Horton joined Slaughter and May in 1979, having read law at Cambridge University. He practiced as a corporate Partner for over 30 years, based mainly in London. In Hong Kong he was head of the firm’s China practice and also served as a Council Member of the Hong Kong Law Society. For many years, he led both the firm’s Government practice as well as its infrastructure, energy and natural resources (IEN) group. He was seconded to the Brexit unit within HM Treasury in 2016, before retiring from the firm in 2018.

Mark is an investor in, and director of, private companies operating in a number of different business sectors. He became a Board member of Allegra Care in 2020.

With over 16 years of experience in the care industry, Michael has worked across a diverse range of services, from sheltered housing and day care to extra care housing and care homes. His extensive career has taken him across both the north and south of the border, giving him a deep understanding of regional care needs.

Michael spent nine years with Aberdeenshire Council, playing a key role in the implementation of the Integrated Care Partnership. In 2017, he relocated to Epsom, where he gained valuable experience as both a Registered Manager and a Regional Manager.

As Allegra Care’s Operational Director, Michael is dedicated to creating warm, welcoming, and happy environments for residents and guests alike. He is committed to delivering care with enthusiasm, empathy, and skill.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his two wonderful children. A passionate football fan, he dedicates his weekends to watching, coaching, and playing football, with a particular love for Glasgow Celtic.

With over 30 years of experience in the health and social care sector, Emmie has dedicated much of her career to supporting older adults living with dementia. Her journey in care began at just 15 years old, volunteering with young adults in physical disability respite services.

Throughout her career, Emmie has worked across both the public and private sectors in various influential roles. These include serving as a CQC Inspector, leading Quality and Safeguarding for Hampshire County Council, managing multi-site services as a Registered Manager, and taking on roles such as National Project Manager, Service Director, and Governance Lead. Notably, she played a crucial role in delivering NHS clinical contracts for 111 services during the Covid pandemic.

Emmie is passionate about leading by example, with a focus on providing high-quality, safe service provision for both service users and staff. She values integrity, compassion, and a collaborative approach, always offering guidance and support with a positive, "critical friend" attitude to ensure harmonious teamwork with frontline colleagues.

Outside of work, Emmie is a devoted mother to four children, including three adults and a 10-year-old, as well as the proud owner of three cats, a dog, and hundreds of fish! She enjoys spending her free time outdoors, indulging in her love for hiking, birdwatching, and all things nature-related.

Originally from South Africa, David moved to the UK in the mid-1990s. He holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Economics, and Law, and later completed his MBA at Heriot-Watt University. A Chartered Management Accountant, David is also currently expanding his knowledge by studying an introductory computer science course through Harvard University. In addition to his formal education, he has studied physics—for fun.

With 25 years of experience in senior finance and management roles, David has worked with start-ups and high-growth SMEs. He was a partner in a start-up online pharmacy before expanding into pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare consultancy. Following this, he served as Finance Director for a charity offering dementia support services, and later as Director of Finance and Quality Management for a group of residential care homes specializing in severe autism care. Most recently, David held the position of Financial Controller for a private equity-owned self-storage group, where he upgraded and integrated systems to support an ambitious growth strategy.

At Allegra, David’s role focuses on systems harmonisation, business integration, and realising operational efficiencies across the expanding portfolio.

As Administration Office Manager for Allegra Care, Joanna brings a wealth of experience and organisational skills from her years as a PA in the interior design, media and music sectors, the latter giving her a claim to fame for having once met David Bowie. Her role with Allegra Care sees her coordinating the various administrative functions of the business and ensuring the smooth running of the company’s head office in Guildford.

Joanna lives in Ripley, Surrey and much of her time away from work is taken up by her three wonderful children.

With a 14-year track record in the healthcare sector, working as financial controller for four multi-site care home groups, Tim is a highly experienced finance professional. From acquisitions and disposals to diversification and a de-merger, he brings a wealth of corporate change experience to his role with Allegra Care, working closely with executive management and shareholders of privately-owned residential care groups. His wide-ranging remit has seen him acquire and cultivate a diverse skillset, including systems integration and process implementation and development. A self-confessed lover of spreadsheets, Tim is dedicated to helping people understand the story the numbers are telling. In his time off, he enjoys walking and cycling in the Surrey Hills with his family, whilst his fascination with history has seen him recently learn Hebrew.

Sue brings a diverse range of experience and skills gained from various marketing roles in South Africa and the UK, to her role as Marketing Manager at Allegra Care. She is driven by her great enthusiasm for marketing and a desire to make a positive impact on people's lives. She firmly believes that everyone deserves the best care and attention and is committed to promoting the excellent care provided by Allegra Care to a wider audience. Despite her busy schedule, Sue enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, taking long walks with her Dachshund Sunny, and exploring the beautiful countryside that surrounds her.

Nevertheless, her dedication to her job and her passion for marketing motivates her to continuously seek innovative ways to promote Allegra Care and ensure its ongoing success.

As a seasoned executive leader, Darryl brings years of expertise and progressive performance in the health care sector, both in Australia and here in the UK. His career with Allegra Care started as General Services Manager at St George’s Nursing Home in Weston-super-Mare, before becoming The Recruitment and Retention Manager, based at the company’s Guildford head office. In this capacity, he oversees the recruitment process for Allegra Care's homes, ensuring that the company has a skilled, caring and committed workforce.

Darryl’s other interests away from work include golf, gym and sports cars. He is also a passionate foodie who enjoys trying out different cuisines and new recipes.

Kerry began her nursing career over 40 years ago at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. Throughout her diverse career in the NHS, she has worked in areas such as Intensive Care and Bowel Cancer Screening, while also being deeply involved in the training and development of others. After leaving the NHS, she became a regional trainer for a domiciliary care company before joining Allegra Care in 2021 as the Care & Clinical Competency Assessor for the Hampshire homes.

In August 2023, Kerry was promoted to Training Manager at Allegra Care, where she now leads all training initiatives across the portfolio. She places particular focus on educating teams around the core principles and care approach that underpin Allegra's Household Model of care. Kerry is known for her enthusiasm and commitment to delivering person-centred care, always striving to positively impact residents' lives and support staff development.

When not at work, Kerry enjoys spending time with her two grown-up daughters, as well as with family and friends. She has a passion for modern jive dancing, going to the theatre, and dining out.

Bringing over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry to his role with Allegra Care, Adam Keens’ track record encompasses key estate management roles in both the public and private sectors.

In addition to a Post Graduate Diploma in Facilities Management at Reading University, Adam has also completed the Sterling University Dementia Design Course. This wide-ranging academic research underpins his belief in the importance of ongoing investment to prolonging asset life, and the crucial roles played by solid compliance foundations and good design in the optimised delivery of care.

In his professional capacity, Adam has innovated and developed strategies for dealing with backlog maintenance and continued investment in the built environment, as well as a tool for monitoring and proactively managing property compliance in Care Homes. He has also spent time in the US studying the American Community model of Senior Living and their approach to dementia care through their Reminiscence programme.

Away from work, when he isn’t avidly following Formula One and other motorsports, Adam can often be found tinkering with classic cars and motorbikes.

Joining Allegra Care after over six years as Director of Facilities at Sunrise Senior Living, Adam Keens brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his position as Director of Asset Management.

Working for 11 years as a Social Worker and Team Manager in Adult Services, Jacqueline relished supporting care providers with their safeguarding, quality and compliance requirements. Based on this experience, she then sought a move into working with a residential care provider. Jacqueline approached Allegra Care first, as she felt that the company’s values, care principles and household model aligned very closely with her own vision of what good care should look like. As Regional Manager, her passion for outstanding care is self-evident as she supports homes and colleagues across Hampshire. She also thinks laughter is a great tonic – and her cheeky sense of humour is infectious.

Away from work, Jacqueline enjoys eating out, cinema and horse racing. As a mother of two grown up children, she enjoys spending time with her friends, her family and her two grandchildren.

Recently celebrating his 40th plus year working in the care sector, James brings a wealth of experience to his role as Allegra Care’s Regional Manager for our Central Region. His career spans care in a range of settings and sectors, with his initial training as a nurse leading on to a variety of roles throughout 20 years’ service in the NHS. James is passionate about elderly care and shares Allegra Care’s dedication to person-centred care delivery, ensuring that every aspect is tailored to each individual’s specific needs. In his free time, he will most likely be found walking in his beloved countryside, faithful four legged companion in tow.

Amanda brings 40 years of working experience in social care to her role as Regional Manager for the Western Region of Allegra Care. Amanda was Registered manager at both Olive Tree House and Rose Garden since they opened over 8 years ago. Very much a people person, she’s dedicated to helping others and passionate about elderly care and the difference it can make to people’s quality of life. From training and mentoring colleagues to building strong working relationships with healthcare professionals in the local community, it’s a positive outlook that also benefits her working relationships.