Chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Southern to stand down next year

Two of Southern Housing’s long-serving executives are to stand down from the organisation next year.

The 80,000-home housing association has announced Sarah Smith, chief financial officer, will stand down next May, while chief operating officer Jane Porter will leave the organisation in April.

Both are retiring from full-time executive work but will continue with non-executive roles in the sector.

Smith, who has worked at Southern or its predecessor organisations for 16 years, sits on the board of developer Dolphin Living, charity Reall and Sustainability for Housing. She also sits on the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales’ social housing sub-committee and is vice chair of the National Housing Federation’s finance and policy advisory group.

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Porter has worked in housing for more than 30 years and sits on the board of 10,000-home Hertfordshire-based association Settle.

Paul Hackett, chief executive at Southern Housing, said: “Both Jane and Sarah will leave an amazing legacy and big shoes to fill, and we’ll miss them greatly.”