THE housing association, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), now has a permanent executive team.

It comes after the appointment of Tracy Woods as the association’s new chief finance officer.

Tracy, a qualified accountant by trade, has worked at various housing associations over the last 12 years and has headed projects including the merging of two housing trusts, Wythenshawe-based Parkway Green and Willow Park. Her last role was as director of business services at Northwards Housing in Manchester.

She said: “I gain fulfilment working for organisations that have a commercial focus and a social purpose. I am over-the-moon to be joining such a forward-thinking organisation that has customers’ needs at the heart of its operations and has demonstrated so many instances where they have helped to turn local people’s lives around.

Before joining the housing industry, Tracy spent ten years in the private sector working her way up from accounts assistant roles to finance director level at well-known brands such as Matalan.

She added: “Through my background in finance, I am passionate about progressing this work at FCHO and making sure money is invested wisely to support our customers to live their best lives. We are already delivering a high level of service, so I am excited to get cracking to ensure this continues and develops.”

Commenting on the appointment, Donna Cezair, chief executive at FCHO, said: “Tracy’s appointment means we have a diverse team of executives and directors to lead FCHO on the next stage of its progression. I am passionate about creating a culture at FCHO where everyone is equal, heard and included so we are delighted to make this step forward, with the right people in place.”

Tracy will hold responsibility for FCHO’s finance, income collection, business intelligence, IT and development teams and will play a crucial role in helping the social housing association deliver its plans to build 850 new homes by 2026.