A board and specialist team with decades of experience across property, finance, insurance and institutional investment.
"A multidisciplinary team of accomplished professionals, brought together by one mission."The people
The Key is led by a board and specialist team with decades of experience across property, finance, insurance, regeneration and institutional investment, united by a shared commitment to delivering truly affordable housing for the key workers our cities depend on.
Chris Phillips brings more than five decades of experience across finance, property, investment and corporate leadership. His career has included senior roles at Prudential Bache, Marshalls and Lombard Odier, alongside a wide range of board and chair appointments across the UK, Europe and North America. In 1993, Chris drafted the legislation for Housing Investment Trusts (HITs). While the trusts themselves were never listed, the legislative framework became an important precursor to the UK Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) regime introduced subsequently.
He served as Chair of Places for People for over ten years, overseeing one of the UK's largest regeneration and housing organisations with 11,600 staff and £5.9 billion of assets. Chris also served as Chair of SOHO, a £400 million Real Estate Investment Trust listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, and chaired London & Newcastle for 16 years. He was also a joint founder and director of JAR, managing more than 7,000 leasehold properties. His experience spans residential development, investment strategy, governance, public policy, capital markets and long-term asset management.
Chris is the founder of Centaurea Investments and co-founded Pennymoney International Holdings in 2023. He also chaired the Shetland Space Centre for more than seven years and continues to advise and support businesses focused on growth, innovation and long-term value creation.
Kaveh Mobasheri is an award-winning property entrepreneur and creative leader with more than 30 years' experience across design, development and construction. Known for his ability to combine innovation with practical delivery, he has led and delivered a number of recognised design-and-build projects throughout his career.
Following the financial crisis, Kaveh became increasingly focused on the long-term affordability and quality challenges facing UK housing. His work has centred on finding sustainable solutions to address rising housing costs and the lack of accessible, fit-for-purpose homes in major cities.
He has brought together a multidisciplinary team of professionals to establish The Key as a creative response to the housing crisis. His vision continues to drive the company's mission to reset the housing market and create genuinely affordable urban living solutions.
Viv Frankham is a Chartered Accountant and finance leader with extensive experience across the property and development sectors. She has held senior and board-level roles within FTSE 250 companies and privately owned development businesses, specialising in refinancing, restructuring, strategic planning and investment funding.
Throughout her career, Viv has led complex financing and operational transformation projects, including award-winning refinancing programmes and large-scale business restructures. Her expertise combines strong analytical capability with a practical commercial approach, enabling organisations to navigate complex financial and operational environments.
Viv is particularly experienced in supporting growth businesses through periods of transition, building high-performing finance functions and strengthening long-term financial resilience. She is recognised for her clear strategic insight, collaborative leadership style and ability to translate financial complexity into practical decision-making.
Steven Byrne is a highly experienced Non-Executive Director, regeneration specialist and business leader with more than 30 years of board-level experience across urban regeneration, property development, infrastructure, green energy and social care. He brings extensive expertise in complex mixed-use development, governance, project finance and public-private partnerships.
As Co-Founder and CEO of MCD Group, Steven led the delivery of more than £1 billion of regeneration and development projects, including landmark schemes associated with Birmingham's Bull Ring and Bristol's Cabot Circus. His experience spans projects ranging from £10 million to £200 million, working alongside institutional investors, local authorities and government agencies.
Alongside his executive career, Steven has held a number of advisory and non-executive positions focused on regeneration, sustainability and strategic growth. He is recognised for his ability to align commercial delivery with wider economic and community impact and remains actively involved in regional planning, governance and industry initiatives.
Miriam Reid is an international business and transformation leader with more than 25 years' experience across insurance, operations, underwriting, and strategic delivery. She has held senior leadership positions within global organisations including AIG, Beazley and Arch Insurance, leading large-scale operational, governance and transformation programmes in complex international environments. She brings extensive experience in corporate governance, strategic planning, organisational transformation and operational leadership, together with a commercial, stakeholder-focused perspective that supports effective board decision-making.
Currently, Miriam serves as Head of Business Solutions at Arch Insurance International, where she leads the design and execution of Arch's strategic operations agenda, driving innovation and transformation initiatives that deliver scalable, future-ready solutions to accelerate growth, enhance performance and create value for brokers and clients across the London Market, International and Lloyd's platforms.
An Executive MBA graduate and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Miriam is also a recognised coach, mentor, advisor and advocate for innovation and inclusion. She works closely with emerging InsurTech businesses, including as a registered mentor for the Lloyd's Lab Accelerator, supporting the development of future-focused business models and high-performing teams.
Jeremy Green is a Chartered Surveyor with more than 35 years' experience in property investment, acquisitions and development consultancy. His career has included advising on the acquisition and disposal of individual assets, as well as supporting large-scale regeneration and development projects across the UK property sector.
He has developed significant expertise in investment analysis, transaction structuring and development strategy, with a detailed and commercially focused approach to project delivery. Jeremy is known for his ability to identify opportunities, manage complex negotiations and support projects through to completion.
Alongside his transactional experience, Jeremy is passionate about sustainable development and the role of community-led regeneration in shaping future cities. He continues to focus on innovative funding and acquisition strategies that support long-term social and economic value.
Kya leads the development and operation of The Key's digital platform, including the website, investor data room, financial modelling interfaces and wider digital infrastructure. His role brings together technology, AI, automation and user experience to support the way The Key presents and manages information for investors, lenders, insurers and public-sector partners. His formal consultancy remit also covers digital products, software development, technology integrations and the coordination of external technology providers.
His wider experience spans financial services, investment business development and prime residential property. At Fisher Investments UK, Kya worked with high-net-worth prospects and clients and signed more than £10 million in assets under management within ten months. He previously worked in Prime Central London residential property at Dexters, advising high-net-worth clients and property owners on the sale and letting of high-value homes and identifying developer-led opportunities.
Kya currently also works in business development within the independent financial advice sector, building relationships with clients and advisers and helping individuals navigate investment and financial-advice options. This combination of technology, investment-facing experience and property knowledge informs his work on The Key's institutional platform and the way information is structured, presented and made accessible to external stakeholders.
