NHBC chief executive steps down

Imtiaz Farookhi will leave the body at the end of the month, with newly appointed chairman Isabel Hudson stepping up to become executive chairman while a replacement is found.

The body said the departure was a planned move, despite the fact Farookhi has left without a successor chief executive identified.

Farookhi said: “I have been planning my departure and succession for the last two years, and following the completion of NHBC’s 75th anniversary celebrations and more importantly, the successful appointment of Isabel Hudson as chairman, I think now is the right time for me to move on.”

The NHBC declined to comment on what Farookhi, who is 61, will do upon his departure. In 14 years leading the body, which offers warranties on 80% of the new homes built in the UK, Farookhi was responsible for extending the scope of its Buildmark warranty and the range of services offered to the industry. 

The NHBC has also influenced policy development in areas such as carbon emission reduction, in particular through its research arm the NHBC Foundation, which Farookhi set up in 2006.

Isabel Hudson said; “The NHBC board is grateful to Mr Farookhi for the stability and vision he has brought as chief executive over 14 years, during which he has helped shape the modern day NHBC.

“He was a major influence on the establishment of the Zero Carbon Hub which has been so influential in shaping the future for new homes, and in recent years also focused on the importance of homeowner satisfaction, which has significantly improved in recent years and currently stands at record levels.