LONDON, UK: Notting Hill Genesis announces that Patrick Franco has been appointed as the new chief executive officer to replace Kate Davies, who over the summer announced her decision to stand down. Patrick is expected to take up his new role in January 2023.

Notting Hill Genesis is one of the largest housing associations in the country, with more than 66,500 homes owned or managed across London and the south-east.

Franco has a wide range of relevant experience across various sectors, including residential management, finance investment, hospitality, and tourism.

His most recent role was as chief operating officer and executive director at Foxtons Plc, one of London’s leading estate agency and property management firms, where he led digital transformation programmes to improve customer experience, and was instrumental in their work on environmental, social and governance matters.

At Foxtons he was also an ardent advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion within the property sector. His earlier career was predominantly at Credit Suisse, where he held several roles, including chief operating officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management UK.

Patrick Franco has additionally spent nearly a decade on the board, most recently as vice chair, of Global Heritage Fund, an international non-profit organisation that invests in cultural heritage to advance sustainable economic development and provide emergency response during crises.

Ian Ellis, chair of Notting Hill Genesis, said: “The recruitment panel and I were impressed by the high calibre of all candidates for this crucial role in our organisation, but Patrick has been selected as the best able to lead our strong executive team as we continue to implement our resident-centric, digitally-enabled strategy.

“We were especially impressed by Patrick’s strong understanding of the UK residential market and customer expectations, together with his high financial and investment literacy. That experience will provide an essential perspective from beyond the housing association sector and will be invaluable as we navigate the current uncertain external environment.

“Patrick also holds strong social values, which means he aligns closely with the focus and ethos of Notting Hill Genesis, a core requirement for any leadership role with us.”

Patrick added: “The Notting Hill Genesis team is immensely talented, and I am delighted to be joining the organisation and building on recent momentum. Continuing to improve customer satisfaction is a key strategic priority, and I look forward to meeting our residents to identify ways we can sustainably accelerate this.

“Now is clearly a challenging time for many, and the need for safe, comfortable and affordable homes in and around London is as important as ever. That demands increasingly urgent, innovative, and adaptive approaches to meet the challenge across the public and private sector. As one of London’s largest housing associations, Notting Hill Genesis is ideally positioned to take on this challenge.”