"A multidisciplinary team of accomplished professionals, brought together by one mission."
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 20 years' experience across insurance, operations, underwriting and strategic delivery. She has held senior leadership positions within global organisations including Beazley, AIG and Arch International, leading large-scale operational, governance and transformation programmes across the UK, EMEA and international markets.
Most recently, Miriam served as Head of Business Management and Chief of Staff for Beazley's Cyber Risks division, where she led global operations, strategic planning and transformation initiatives for a £1.2 billion business. Her career has focused on driving operational excellence, organisational change and scalable growth within complex international environments.
An Executive MBA graduate and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Miriam is also a recognised mentor, advisor and advocate for innovation and inclusion. She works closely with emerging insurtech businesses and leadership networks, supporting the development of future-focused business models and high-performing teams.
