Lynda Sagona has been appointed as the new chief executive of Caerphilly-based housing association United Welsh.

Lynda is currently director of housing and communities at United Welsh, which was recently named the fifth best landlord in the UK and has more than 5,500 homes across 11 local authority areas in South Wales.

Lynda will replace outgoing chief executive Anthony Whittaker who announced he was standing down earlier this year.

Chair of United Welsh Grahame Sturges said: "We are delighted to announce that Lynda Sagona is our new chief executive. Lynda brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role.

"We had a strong field of candidates and it was gratifying to see how many truly talented people wanted to work at United Welsh. I would like to thank everyone who applied.

"The company has achieved great things in recent years, not least setting up Celtic Horizons a unique wholly owned subsidiary, managed in partnership with Mears to look after our estates; regularly achieving Gold at IIP and this year being named the fifth best landlord in the UK. I am confident Lynda will continue to build on what has already been achieved and am looking forward to carrying on working together.

"I would also like to thank Anthony for his great leadership over the past two decades."

Lynda joined United Welsh in 2009. Previously principal estates surveyor with the Welsh Assembly Government and WDA, Lynda is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

She said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be appointed as the new chief executive of United Welsh. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and have always said I have one of the best jobs in the world so to be entrusted with the role of chief executive of an organisation I so admire is both humbling and very exciting.

“I already know we have a brilliant team at United Welsh and Celtic Horizons and I am looking forward to continuing our success story.”