Heather Keates: CMA’s founder and Chief Executive Officer. Heather has spent 25 years working in the field of debt advice. As well as running CMA she continues to volunteer at her local CMA centre. She lives in rural Shropshire with her family and happily spends her free time sewing, knitting, strimming down brambles and cheering on her beloved Brighton and Hove Albion football team.
John Franks: Chief Operating Officer. John had a career as a retail director and project manager before joining CMA in 2007. He is responsible for CMA services, projects and planning, along with the management of the CMA staff team. He became a Christian at the age of nineteen and is now a member of the Third Order of the Society of St. Francis. When not working for CMA, John enjoys creative pursuits. He is a published author, musician and actor, and holds a degree in Fine Art sculpture. Married with one (grown) son, John and his wife endeavour to be good stewards of a smallholding in West Wales along with their dog, cat, chickens and horses.
Steve Bolton: Policy Manager (External Affairs) & Operations Support Manager (London SE). Steve joined CMA in 2012, coming from a working background in high street and regulated financial services. He worked for some years with The Trussell Trust in parallel with his CMA post. He has been active in church life since becoming a Christian at the age of 34 (his wife had become a Christian earlier in the same year). They have two adult offspring. With a heart to serve and support others, Steve has undertaken various roles within the local community, both practically and politically. He reflects that the only certainty in life, apart from God’s presence, is the need to be prepared for change.
Kate Downward: Head Office Manager. Kate joined the CMA team in 2014 and manages Administration, Finance, Human Resources and IT from our Head Office in Shrewsbury including affiliations, centre membership renewals, treasury, conferences and data management work. She has a wide range of administrative and financial experience from her work as an external auditor with the Audit Commission, auditing Local Authorities and the NHS. Kate also ran a wedding and events balloon decoration business until 2020! Kate is also on the team at her local CMA debt advice centre in Shrewsbury. She is married with two secondary school aged children and enjoys playing bass guitar in her Church's worship band, camping and skiing.
Claire Daniels: Hub Manager. Claire has managed our CMA debt advice centre in Scarborough for over 10 years and has both the Certificate in Money Advice Practice and an MA in Social Welfare Law and Advice Practice. She has also been a CMA trainer for 6 years and helps to work on developing Catalyst. Claire is also a musician, loves writing devotional materials and has two fabulous teenagers.
Mark Johansson: Operations Manager. Mark was appointed as the OSM for the North East Region in February 2019 before taking up his current role in July 2021. He has worked as a volunteer debt adviser for CMA since 2017, and is now also the Centre Manager at his local church at Hull Vineyard. Previously to this, Mark served as a Police Officer for 30 years in his local Force, enjoying a varied and rewarding career before 'retiring' in 2017. Mark is married, and has 3 children & 6 grandchildren, and in his free-time enjoys walking, cycling, and DIY as well as following the fortunes of Leeds United FC!
Becci Amos: Training Manager. Becci joined the CMA team in 2020 as the training administrator, stepping into the her current role 3 years on. She has been a volunteer debt advisor at her local CMA centre as well as being been involved in community projects and youth work based from the church she attends in Shrewsbury. In recent years Becci has been working toward her MA in Professional Practice and Practical Theology. Becci’s background is in outdoor leadership, she is a qualified international mountain leader and has enjoyed leading expeditions to mountain regions all around the world. Becci is passionate about leading and coaching people; the training manager role brings together her experience in outdoor leadership and heart for social action. In Becci’s spare time she enjoys being outside as often as possible, biking, walking or climbing and chilling out with her dog Ned!
David Chambers: Business Development Manager. David joined CMA in 2022 as Operations Support Manager for East Anglia following careers in international supply chain management, procurement & logistics and environmental compliance. Married to Jo with two teenage children, David is a volunteer Connect Centre manager and member of his local church, serving on the leadership team as a trustee from 1996 to 2024. David’s involvement in debt support began in 2010 when he helped set up a CAP centre and worked as a caseworker for four years. A keen photographer and outdoor enthusiast, David enjoys adventure travel undertaking treks to Everest base camp, the Inca trail and Milam glacier as well as climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales.
CMA's Departmental Teams: . CMA's departmental team members
