West Midlands ALMO chief executive to retire after 10 years

She was previously constituency director at Birmingham City Council, where she held responsibility for landlord services, including 62,000 homes.

SCH manages 10,000 homes and was set up in 2004 to run the housing service on behalf of Solihull Council.

Ms Hughes said during her tenure as chief executive of SCH, she has seen a “period of great change within the housing sector”, including the building safety and regulatory reforms introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire.

She continued: “Through this demanding time, both the SCH board and staff have responded with commitment to everything that has come their way, and I thank them for all the support they have shown me down the years.

“I will miss them all, but know SCH is in safe hands with our board chair Simon Wilson, who I know will work to support the organisation’s new interim chief executive, Lee Sugden.”

Mr Wilson said: “Fiona’s many friends at SCH are sad to see that she is leaving us, having guided the organisation with such professionalism for many years. We wish her a well-deserved and happy retirement.”

Mr Sugden has more than 30 years’ experience working in social housing, including six years as chief executive of Manchester-based Salix Homes.

He will join SCH from Broadacres, where he has served as interim chief executive since August last year.