Meet our core function Senior Management Team

(Health & Safety, Finance, Planning, Marketing, Tech & HR)

We are privileged to have a dedicated and talented group of individuals who make up our core function Senior Management team supporting and driving positive change throughout the Tingdene Group.

Allow us to introduce you to the team. Please get to know the faces behind the names and understand their roles in contributing their expertise to our shared vision.

From left to right: Megan Alabaster, Gareth Wright, Megan Tucker, Gary Duthie, Toni Norman and Andrew Edwards

Megan Alabaster – Senior Finance Manager

Megan has been a devoted member of the Tingdene family for an impressive 17 years!

Megan’s journey began as an office junior in the admin department, and her career has been nothing short of remarkable.

Just before celebrating her one-year work anniversary, she was approached to join the Finance team. Megan’s determination, passion, hard work and her love of a challenge has propelled her to the role of Senior Finance Manager.

Beyond the office, Megan’s life is filled with delightful chaos, courtesy of her 8-month old puppy. She finds solace in the serenity of country walks, the thrill of paddleboarding, the joy of reading a good book, and the excitement of learning something new.

In the last 18 months, Megan has played a pivotal role in expanding the Finance team. This growth has allowed her to delve into reviewing their practices and identifying areas for improvement. One significant change she championed was the upgrade of our accounting software, from Sage 50 to Sage 200. The old system, which had served us faithfully for years, could no longer keep up with our ever-expanding business needs!

As we look to continually upgrade our finance function and support systems, Megan is spending more time out on site to understand operational needs and provide solutions.

Megan is always here to support her colleagues and welcomes your emails and calls at anytime. If you do see her on-site please say hi!

 

Gareth Wright – Tech Manager

Gareth, a familiar face in the Tingdene Group family for 15 years, and directly part of the team for the last 9 years. Gareth’s IT journey spans an impressive 22 years.

Beyond the world of Tech, Gareth finds joy in flight simulation and dreams of one day earning his private pilot’s license. But, as many of us understand, this dream has to wait until the kids are a little less of a financial drain!

Throughout his career, Gareth’s focus has been strategic. He is all about delivering technical solutions that empower our teams to work smart and maximize the value we get from our investments in Technology.

Since joining in 2014, he has been instrumental in centralising our Tech environment, linking our sites to a main data centre, enabling seamless sharing of files and data, and implementing new printing solutions.

Looking ahead, we’re in for exciting changes. Gareth’s team will soon roll out a new Teams telephone system and continue consolidating our CCTV systems. Further down the line, they’re exploring how renewable energy can make our business greener.

With his strategic mindset, Gareth’s role revolves around developing holistic solutions that impact the Tingdene Group.

His (virtual) door is always open, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss anything Tech related.

 

Megan Tucker – group HR Manager

Having only joined the business in January 2024, Megan is the team’s Newbie! Although this isn’t her first “Tingdene” rodeo- before joining the Team, she was Head of People at Tingdene Homes. Megan started her career in HR because it’s her ambition to see people enjoy their work, so whilst some may see HR as the fun police- Megan makes it her work mission to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to succeed in their role, whilst providing guidance to the company directors and management teams, all whilst having a bit of fun in the process!

A bit about Megan- She is a self-confessed crazy dog lady (you’ll get bonus points for asking about her dog Ted), she loves red wine and cheese, and in her spare time, she enjoys painting landscape art. Megan has a dry sense of humour, she is always snacking on something and has an unhealthy obsession with booking holidays.

In a nutshell, Megan is here to help, and she is always here to answer any people-related questions you may have.

She is looking forward to meeting all of you- and if you’re at head office, Megan loves a milky coffee with one sugar (she will be sure to provide the snacks).

 

Gary Duthie – Associate Director (Planning)

Meet Gary, our Planning expert who works closely with Bernadette Owens, our Planning Manager. They are both office based, but don’t be shy, Gary is always up for a site visit, especially when the sun is shining!

With a background in local government, Gary has found that diving into the world of planning is much more exciting than sticking to the old ways. His focus? Unravelling the complexities of the local authority’s development control process as it intersects with various aspects of our business.

Typically his role involves securing planning permissions for new projects, deciphering existing permissions and conditions (sometimes vague or old ones) and identifying opportunities to optimise asset use. He is also a pro at negotiating new planning conditions and agreements to get our projects moving. When conditions or obligations no longer fit or threaten our projects’ viability, Gary handles discharging, varying, or relaxing them. If our application faces the unfortunate fate of refusal (planning is often subjective), Gary is here to prepare and drive appeals to the national planning Inspectorate.

But that’s not all, Gary is your go-to for obtaining or interpreting certificates of lawfulness when planning permissions are missing or breached and if you are delving into the world of local development plans and policies, he’s got you covered! He even assists with other regulatory processes like caravan site licensing, tree preservation, and public rights of way. Don’t forget, he is open for business and ready to help when you receive letters from councils that raise your stress levels!

If you’re considering construction, alterations, or changes in land use, let Gary ensure you don’t receive any of those intimidating council communications.

He is here to kindly simplify planning and development.

 

Toni Norman – Senior Marketing Manager

Toni has nearly four years under her belt at the Tingdene Group and her enthusiasm for her role stems from the incredible variety it offers. Working across the entire business, her daily tasks are both diverse and engaging.

Before joining the Tingteam family, Toni ventured into a wide array of industries from a marketing perspective, ranging from heating, and plumbing to DIY, Health & Safety, and even men’s accessories. This rich experience has equipped her with a broad skill set and in-depth understanding of marketing across different niches.

In the marketing department, they’ve got all the basics covered, from brochures and ads to websites, but they don’t stop there. They are specialists in the digital realm, content creation, PR and crafting those eye-catching on-site signs.

If you have any marketing questions or need assistance with anything marketing-related, Toni is your go-to person.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to her because she is here to help you navigate the exciting world of marketing across the Tingdene Group.

 

Andrew Edwards – Health & Safety Manager

Andrew has been part of the Tingteam since October 2020. His career journey has been a wild ride, from being a chef, dabbling in retail sales, leather dressing (don’t ask!), to working in debt management and IT Services.

Before joining the Tingdene Group, Andrew spent 15+ years in the travel industry, inspecting hotels and excursions abroad, making sure holidaymakers stayed safe and happy.

As Health and Safety Manager, Andrew is all about ensuring everyone’s safety with the support of Health and Safety Coordinators in each business unit. If you ever have questions or need guidance relating to the safety of the business, its people or its customers, his door is open.

Andrew’s motto is – ‘Safety is free – So use plenty of it!’

Your wellbeing matters and we are here for you!