John Hannigan appointed new CIH chair.

John Hannigan is set to take over from Geraldine Howley, who has held the prestigious position for the past two terms and has contributed her expertise to the board for a total of six years.

The CIH board will officially propose John’s appointment to the organisation’s Annual General Meeting in October. After a vote of the membership, Geraldine will formally step down to make way for John to assume his new role.

With over three decades of experience in the housing sector, John Hannigan is a well-known figure. Currently serving as the chief executive officer at Circle Voluntary Housing Association, John is a Fellow of the CIH and has been actively involved in the organisation’s governance structure. He served on CIH Northern Ireland’s advisory board from 2016 to 2022, subsequently becoming the chair of the advisory board for Chartered Institute of Housing Ireland in 2022. Additionally, John became a trustee in 2019 and a member of CIH’s Audit and Risk Committee in 2017, eventually taking on the role of chair.

Expressing his thoughts on the appointment, John stated: “I am honoured and excited to take on the role of chair of CIH’s governing board. I am deeply committed to building upon the strong foundation laid by Geraldine. Working closely with the board and management team at CIH, I plan to drive continued growth and excellence for our sector and particularly our members. Together, we will navigate the evolving landscape, collaborate with stakeholders on the issues that matter, and seize opportunities that will deliver value for our members.”

Geraldine Howley commented: “I am thrilled to be handing over the role of chairing CIH to such a committed housing professional. John has been a key member of the board in recent years and is very well placed to step into the chair’s role.

“I have immensely enjoyed my time as CIH chair and delighted that I will leave the organisation in a much stronger position than it was only a few years ago. I’m grateful to John and my board colleagues, as well as CIH’s employees and members, for all the hard work and effort they have put into this tremendous transformation. It has been one of the greatest honours of my working life to chair CIH. I intend to remain involved in my professional body and am excited to see where John and the board take the organisation next.”

Gavin Smart, CIH’s chief executive, added: “We are delighted to see John as the new chair designate of our governing board. He brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the role, as well as extensive relevant experience.

”I look forward to working with John and the rest of the governing body to ensure CIH continues to be a successful, accountable, strategic, modern, inclusive, and dynamic organisation that is both prepared to face future challenges and fit for purpose.”