Former Foxtons boss to run affordable housing giant

Patrick Franco, former chief operating officer at estate agency Foxtons, is to take over as chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis from Kate Davies. Davies announced her plans to step down from the affordable housing provider in the summer. Franco will take up the new role in January next year. At Foxtons, Franco led digital transformation programmes to improve the customer experience and was instrumental in the firm’s work on environmental, social and governance matters as well as an “ardent advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion within the property sector”. His early career was predominantly at Credit Suisse, where he held several roles, including chief operating officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management UK. 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.” Franco added: “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.” To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews