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Clarion appoints new chief executive as Ruth Cooke resigns
The UK’s largest housing association has announced a new chief executive as its recently appointed boss resigns for “personal reasons”.
Ruth Cooke, who was appointed to the top job at Clarion Housing Group five months ago following the retirement of longstanding boss Keith Exford, announced her resignation today.
Last week, she was revealed to have taken a period of “extended leave” with Clare Miller, the group’s former director for governance and compliance, stepping in as acting chief executive.
Ms Miller has now been promoted to chief executive.
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Neil Goulden, chair of Clarion, said: “The board of Clarion is pleased to welcome Clare Miller as the new group chief executive and we thank Ruth Cooke for her leadership of the organisation since the spring.
“Clare brings a wealth of experience and energy to her role. She is a passionate advocate, not only for Clarion but for helping those in housing need. I know that this passion will serve Clarion well as it continues to deliver against its ambitions in the years ahead.”
Clare Miller, the new chief executive of Clarion, said: “I am determined that Clarion remains rooted in its social mission. We have a legacy stretching back over 100 years and this is more relevant today than at many times during its history.
“When we launched Clarion in 2016 we did so with a clear purpose, at the heart of which was to build 50,000 homes over ten years, to help those who are failed by the housing market and to help our residents access opportunities to work and help them lead productive lives.”
The statement did not expand on why Ms Cooke resigned, citing only personal reasons.
Ms Cooke joined Clarion having spent six years as the boss of Birmingham-based housing association Midland Heart.
Clarion, which was formed through the mega-merger of housing associations Affinity Sutton and Circle in 2016, is the UK’s largest housing association with 125,000 homes nationwide.
According to its most recent financial statements, the business has a turnover of £829m, producing a surplus of £157m.
It completed 1,263 homes in the year with 1,038 of them affordable.
The organisation has been seeking to turnaround the repairs service in some of the Circle Housing homes it inherited, following regulatory scrutiny before the merger. In March it was upgraded to the top rating for governance following improvements in this service.
Before working as governance and compliance director at Affinity Sutton, Ms Miller was an executive director at the Tenant Services Authority, with responsibility for housing association regulation.
She has also worked for the Housing Corporation, where she led on the financial regulation of associations in special measures.
