Q&A with Tom Forty - Rising Stars 2016

Who in the housing world really inspires you and why?

I suppose there are a couple of ways I come at this. Firstly, I have to say the customers that I have come across over the years. Hearing their stories, and seeing their passion and commitment for their communities is quite something, and brings home why we do what we do. Secondly, I am inspired by some of the leaders in our sector who are challenging the status quo, pushing organisations to think differently, and raising the bar as to what registered providers can achieve. People like Nick Atkin, David Montague, Paul Tennant and Carol Matthews – keep it up!

What building would you like to visit worldwide and why?

I would really like to visit Freedom Tower in New York. A few years ago I went to Ground Zero with someone whose family was directly impacted by the September 11 tragedy, and it really made everything more real and emotional. I’m sure seeing Freedom Tower would be quite something.

How did you get into housing?

Like most people you seem to speak to, I just fell into housing. I wanted to be an architect, and then a planner but something didn’t feel right about them as careers. My mum actually pointed out a job at a housing association and it seemed to combine my interest in housing and property, with what was missing – people. Now that I am in the sector, I can’t see myself working anywhere else.

Which five people would you invite to your dinner party and why?

Other than friends and family who would obviously be annoyed if I didn’t invite them!

• Mark Zuckerberg – clearly a clever guy who is trying to have a positive impact on the world – I wonder what his thoughts on UK housing would be?
• James Corden – he always looks so happy and fun to be around on TV, so hopefully he’d be the same in person
• Greg Clark MP – he is secretary of state for communities and local government, and an influential guy in housing – at a dinner party I’d have his attention for at least a few hours to talk him through some of my ideas!
• Sarah Millican – because she is very funny and would definitely have a joke to break any awkward silences
• Chris Kamara – anyone who watches Gillette Soccer Saturday will know why…

Apart from being a Rising Star finalist, what has been the highlight of your career to date?

I’ve been involved in loads of interesting and exciting pieces of work over the past few years, but one that stands out was setting up a successful scrutiny panel in a previous role. Supporting and training customers to grow into their roles as successful and influential panel members was really good to see. The sense of pride they got as a panel feeding back their first review made all the work worth it.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be yourself and enjoy life – after all, you only get one.

If you had three wishes, how would you use them?

• World peace
• For everyone in the world to have a safe and comfortable home to call their own
• A Sonos sound bar

What piece of advice would you give somebody embarking on a career in housing?

Enjoy it and work hard, and housing can give you everything you want as a career. Working in housing brings so much opportunity, variety and diversity as well as a chance to see the positive impact you can have on people’s lives. But it is a challenge, we are working in a tough environment, often working with vulnerable people in difficult situations. Without enjoying it, it would be much, much harder.

What’s the best thing about your current job?

I get to work towards improving services for customers and staff every single day, and I get to this by working with great people who are really committed and excited about what we do as a sector. The fact that I get to work across so many different teams is an added bonus that keeps things exciting.

If you are our Rising Star for 2016, how might your life have changed in 12 months’ time?

It’s hard to say to be honest – I hope that by becoming Rising Star I have an opportunity to meet some of the leaders in our sector. I’d like to pick their brains and learn from their experiences. I hope I would have had a great year sharing my views and thoughts on the direction of our housing sector to a few more people – and I’ll hopefully be a bit more informed on a few other perspectives as I’d like to build my network across housing. Having more people to talk to about housing matters can only be a good thing. Most of my friends don’t have a clue what I do, or what a housing association is; they think I’m an estate agent. Improving my currently limited profile within the housing sector would also be great. Also a few more Twitter followers maybe?