Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing Association Chief Executive to Retire

Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing Association (WSHA) has announced that their long-serving Chief Executive, Ian Morrison will retire, later this year.

Ian has been with the Association for over 18 years, starting early in 2004 after working as Director of Copperworks Housing Co-operative for 7 years.  Prior to that Ian was with Scottish Homes/Communities Scotland in the Registration & Monitoring section, the forerunner to the current Scottish Housing Regulator.  His move into the voluntary housing sector, at the time, was jokingly referred to by some colleagues as a case of gamekeeper turning poacher!  Prior to that Ian started his career in housing with Glasgow City Council in 1982, initially within the Housing Department before moving to the Department of Architecture and Related Services where his role largely focused on supporting the Council’s housing capital programme.

Of his 18 plus years at WSHA, Ian says, “I was fortunate to take on a post supported by a great team and in my time here we have delivered many achievements of which, I believe, we can all be proud: between new build and stock transfer (from GHA), the Association now numbers 1,300 units, some 400  more than when I first joined; we now have two subsidiaries, one delivering factoring services to 500 owners and an estate management company serving our tenants and those factored owners; we provide extensive welfare rights, financial and energy advice to our tenants; and we have built and help run the Whiteinch Centre on behalf of the local community.

“And, of course it’s not just a staff team.  I have been fortunate to have been supported throughout by the Association’s Committee (including 6 Chairs!) in my time here with a good balance of thorough questioning but always positive and encouraging.

“I believe that running a housing association, like WSHA, is a privilege, a job well worth doing, and I sincerely hope that what we have done over my tenure has been of benefit to the community we serve.  Now, however, for myself, it is time to hand over to someone else to support the organisation through new challenges that lie ahead.”
Linda Stevenson, Chair of WSHA said, “Ian has been such a pleasure to work with. He is hardworking, with the tenants’ interests at heart and has run a steady ship over the last 18 years. He is a gentleman who gets the best out of people and we shall miss him greatly. His retirement is well earned.”

The Committee has now employed HR consultants, Aspen, who are currently assisting in the recruitment of a new Chief Executive.