Livv Housing Group CEO stands down to spend more time with family

Livv Housing Group’s chief executive will stand down after seven years at the helm following a series of “personal challenges” over the past year.

Léann Hearne will work with the board of the 13,000-home housing association over the next year to aid with the transition before departing.

Hearne said: “The devastating loss of my mum, my dad’s deteriorating health, and most recently, my husband’s cancer scare and heart attack have been such a life-changing series of events for me.

“These experiences have prompted me to reassess my future and consider how I prioritise my family. I will be adopting a more flexible approach to work, one that allows me to remain in a sector I’m passionate about, while also granting me precious time with my loved ones. In short, this is the right thing for me, my family, and for Livv.”

Hearne joined the Merseyside landlord in October 2018 when it was known as First Ark following a regulatory downgrade. It rebranded as Livv Housing Group in March 2020 and regained compliance in 2022. It has since maintained a G1/V1 grading.

Hearne commented: “The business had lost its way and wasn’t in an ideal position — I came in with the goal of rebuilding confidence and relationships, and placing social housing back at the core of the business.”

Earlier this year, 60,000-home Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) recruited Hearne to its group board as non-executive director to help it regain regulatory compliance.

The London landlord is aiming to improve its governance after being downgraded to a non-compliant ‘G3’ governance grade in November 2024.

Hearne is also vice-chair for Yorkshire Housing Group, chair of Liverpool City Region Housing Association Partnership, strategic lead for the Knowsley Better Together Partnership and a board member at the Northern Housing Consortium.

She will retain her non-executive roles.

She has previously been an executive director at The Riverside Group, director of operations at ExtraCare Charitable Trust and vice chair of Futures Housing Group.

In recent months Livv Housing Group has been involved in a pay dispute with members of the Unite and Unison unions. The long-running dispute has seen repeated industrial action by repair, maintenance and call centre staff, forcing Livv to draft in contractors to cover services.