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Chief executive of large housing association steps down with immediate effect
Sunderland-based Gentoo has announced that it is searching for someone new to take on the top job following news that the incumbent has stepped down after nearly four years in the role.
In a statement this afternoon, the 30,000-home landlord said Nigel Wilson had taken the decision to step aside after almost four years as boss.
He will be replaced by Louise Bassett, currently executive director of corporate services, on an interim basis with immediate effect.
Gentoo described Ms Bassett as “a highly-accomplished business leader”, who has over 20 years’ experience across senior private sector roles in consumer and healthcare organisations.
She joined Gentoo seven years ago to assist with the organisation’s transformation project and is said to be “passionate about maximising the potential of all colleagues across the organisation”.
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Commenting on Ms Bassett’s interim appointment, Emily Cox, group chair at Gentoo, said: “The board and I would like to thank you for working alongside Gentoo in our joint commitment to improving quality housing in Sunderland.
“As a key stakeholder and anchor institution in Sunderland we are looking forward to continuing our important partnership with you in 2023.”
Ms Cox started her position as chair in September after Gentoo announced that her predecessor, who oversaw the association’s transformation from being non-compliant to achieving the highest governance rating, would leave the board.
Previous chair Keith Loraine joined the landlord as chair in 2017, just before it was downgraded to a G3 for governance by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
Gentoo was deemed non-compliant by the English regulator in 2017 after concerns were raised regarding excessive pay-offs to those leaving the landlord.
These were made before Mr Loraine joined, and included paying departing assistant chief executive, Steve Lanaghan, early pension funds and double the three months’ salary he was contractually owed.
Mr Loraine would later reveal at the National Housing Summit that the regulator came close to arranging a takeover of the landlord and appointing board members during the fall-out.
However, a turnaround of fortunes and management shake-up, with Mr Wilson at the helm, saw Gentoo return to a G1 rating for governance in November 2020, the top governance rating, with the RSH stating that the association continued to make “positive progress in developing and improving its governance”.
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