Your Housing Group announces retirement of chair

YHG said Mr Gaskell had also “played a pivotal role in mentoring our senior leadership team, helping to shape the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring we remain focused on delivering for our residents and communities”.

His wider career in the sector has included chairing the founding board of Trafford Housing Trust, a role he described at the time as “just about the best thing I’ve ever done”.

This was followed by his appointment as chair of Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association, alongside further board positions at Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Wakefield and District Housing, before joining YHG.

Jacque Allen, chief executive of YHG, said: “Mike’s leadership, expertise and wise counsel have been invaluable.

“His distinguished career and unwavering commitment to improving lives through housing are legacies he can be incredibly proud of.

“On behalf of everyone here at YHG and everyone who cares about making sure more people have a safe place to call home, I want to thank Mike for his dedicated service and wish him the very best for the future.” 

Mr Gaskell’s departure will trigger the group’s succession planning, which will see the current vice-chair, Bev Messinger, step up as interim chair while YHG undertakes a recruitment process in the new year to find a permanent replacement.