NHF chief executive Jim Coulter to quit, as chair is re-elected

Richard Clark has been re-elected chair of the National Housing Federation for the next 12 months in the same week that Jim Coulter announced he was stepping down next summer from the trade body after 17 years as chief executive.

As yet there are no firm candidates to replace Coulter when he leaves next June, with the majority of speculation in the sector pointing to an external candidate – possibly with experience of another trade body.

Since Coulter made public his plans, a number of people have ruled themselves out (see “runners and riders” below). The only person who says she “hadn’t ruled herself out” was Liz Cross, deputy chief executive of Harvest Housing Group.

The NHF’s new board, following elections this week, will meet for two days next week to discuss the direction the trade body would take over the next few years.

Chair Richard Clark said these discussions – expected to centre around influencing government and continuing to build up the rebranding campaign “In Business for Neighbourhoods” – would inform the decision on the type of candidate to succeed Coulter.

Clark said: “We will be looking at a candidate for the future and making as wide a trawl as possible both inside and outside the sector. We mustn’t make predictions based on the past; we need to have a clear view about the future.”

Coulter – who will turn 60 next May – said he had made the decision to leave three years previously but was only making it public now as he was required to serve a six-month notice period.

He said: “I will be leaving behind a great place to work with fantastic staff. This job will be a massive opportunity for anyone at a time when housing is really up there politically.”

Referring to the task of placating the various factions that make up the membership of the Federation, Coulter added: “I’ll happily hand on my tin hat – oh yes, you very much still need this.”

Coulter said that once he had stepped down he intended to return to his native North-east but would still be involved in “working on housing policy” and was “considering a number of options”.

Simon Dow, chief executive of the Guinness Trust, said: “The key point for whoever gets the job is for them to continue to work at capturing the imagination and attention of government and associations – particularly the larger ones.”