Housing association names new boss as incumbent retires after three decades

Mr Renwick said: “I am proud to hand over the leadership baton to Charmaine. Her many talents and record of achievement in initiatives promoting social justice and economic resilience are well established, alongside a capacity for team building.”

Ms Simei is currently director of customer experience and communities at Longhurst Group, where she has worked for the past five years. Prior to that she spent 12-and-a-half years at Peterborough-based Axiom Housing Association. 

Voted Professional of the Year at the Women in Housing Awards 2021, she is a board member for Communities that Work, the national voice of housing providers that supports residents and communities into employment.

She is also a former chair of the Centre of Excellence Community Investment East of England network and co-chair of HACT’s Racial Equality Group. 

Ms Simei said: “It is an honour to be appointed to lead Tuntum. The association has a strong reputation as a community-based social housing provider with a proven ability to explore and generate new partnerships rooted in diversity.”

Junior Hemans, chair of Tuntum, said: “We are thrilled to appoint Charmaine as our new chief executive. She was the outstanding candidate and is a perfect fit for the role.

“I also wish to pay tribute to Richard who is retiring after spending 29 years growing and sustaining Tuntum. His dedication to the association, always true to the values that inform everything we do, will never be forgotten.”

Tuntum currently has a G2/V2 rating with the Regulator of Social Housing. Two years ago the landlord was downgraded to G2 for governance after the regulator said it needed to strengthen its “risk management and organisational capacity”.