New chair named at emh

Emh has announced the appointment of a new Chair, with Danielle Oum set to take up the role from April 1, 2026 following the planned departure of current Chair, Professor David Russell.

Danielle brings extensive experience in the housing and care fields, having previously and currently held roles including chair of the NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) cluster, Chair of NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB and whg.She also holds Board member positions in Fusion21 Ltd and Waythrough.

Danielle began her career in publishing and went on to work in skills and employment roles at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Learning and Skills Council and TCV.

Commenting on the appointment, Danielle said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Chair of emh at a time of significant demand for housing across the East Midlands, a region of stark socio-economic disparities. I look forward to working with emh to maximise its resident-centred, values-driven approach, providing good quality, well maintained homes across a range of tenures as well as much needed care and support services.”

Professor David Russell has served as Chair since 2017 and has made a significant contribution to emh during his tenure. He has provided strong leadership to the Board, ensuring effective governance and clear strategic direction. Under his leadership, emh has navigated a period of growth and change, including executive transition, while maintaining a strong focus on performance, accountability and delivering for customers and communities.

Danielle joins emh following a comprehensive and inclusive recruitment process that attracted significant interest from across the sector. Resident involvement was integral to the process.

The Resident Influence Committee (RIC) played an active role throughout: RIC members, alongside colleagues from Scrutiny, formed a stakeholder panel that met every shortlisted candidate, asked questions that matter to local communities, and fed honest, considered feedback into the selection process.

Andy Murtha, RIC Chair and Board Member, said: “My involvement reflects the RIC’s commitment to ensuring residents have a real say in governance and leadership at emh. We were pleased to play such a meaningful role in the recruitment of the new Chair. Residents met with all shortlisted candidates, asked questions that mattered to local communities, and fed honest, considered feedback into the selection process. It means a great deal to know that resident voices were not only heard but actively shaped this important decision.”

Patricia McCabe, Vice Chair, said: “We are delighted to welcome Danielle. Her experience, her commitment to social purpose, and her impressive track record across housing and public services make her an outstanding choice to lead the Board as we shape our new Corporate Plan. We look forward to working with her as we continue delivering homes and care that improve opportunities for people, and continue to sharpen our focus on customer engagement, equality, diversity and inclusion.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to express our heartfelt thanks to David Russell for his exceptional leadership over nearly a decade. David has guided emh through periods of significant change with clarity, compassion and integrity. His contribution to strengthening our governance and championing our values has been immense, and we wish him every happiness and continued success.”

The news follows an earlier announcement last week of emh’s newly-shaped executive team, which has seen Chris Jones take up a wider remit and additional responsibility as Deputy Chief Executive, Joanne Tilley’s title reflects her oversight executive responsibility for both people and strategy and Ian Davies promoted from Group Director of Property to Executive Director of Quality Homes.

Danielle is currently the Chair of Tuntum Housing Association and will stand down from this role at Tuntum's AGM in September