Customer confidence had become one of Moat's most important strategic priorities. As a leading housing association managing more than 21,000 homes across the South East, the organisation wanted to strengthen resident relationships, improve service delivery and place the customer voice at the centre of decision making. Appointing an Executive Director of Housing and Customer Experience was central to that ambition, providing executive leadership capable of embedding lasting cultural and operational change across the organisation.
The Challenge
Moat required a leader who could do far more than oversee housing services. Following recent regulatory assessments and lower-than-expected Tenant Satisfaction Measure results, the organisation wanted to strengthen customer confidence while preparing for the evolving Consumer Standards.
The successful candidate would lead customer experience, neighbourhood services, income, resident engagement and customer resolutions, while working closely with the Board and Executive Team to improve organisational performance. The challenge demanded someone capable of balancing operational delivery with strategic leadership, rebuilding trust across the organisation and creating a culture where customer insight informed every major decision.
The Solution
Neemar Search partnered closely with Moat's executive team to develop a search strategy focused on transformational customer leadership rather than traditional operational management alone.
Drawing on our trusted housing network and detailed executive mapping, we identified senior leaders with proven experience of improving customer outcomes, leading organisational change and strengthening services within regulated housing providers. Throughout the process we challenged assumptions around leadership style, ensuring technical capability was matched by emotional intelligence, commercial judgement and the ability to influence at executive and board level.
Every shortlisted candidate was assessed against Moat's ambitions to improve customer satisfaction, strengthen regulatory compliance and embed a customer-first culture across multiple directorates. Our structured assessment process explored leadership behaviours alongside operational achievements, giving the Board confidence that the successful candidate could deliver immediate stability while leading long-term service improvement.
The Outcome
Neemar Search appointed an experienced executive with decades of leadership across housing operations and customer services.
The successful candidate combined strategic thinking with practical operational experience, bringing a strong record of improving frontline services, leading organisational restructuring and preparing organisations for increased regulatory expectations. Their experience across both rural and urban housing environments enabled them to bring fresh perspective while understanding the realities of delivering consistent services at scale.
Since joining Moat, the Executive Director has helped strengthen relationships across directorates and establish greater organisational focus on customer outcomes. Their leadership has reinforced the importance of listening to residents, improving accountability and aligning operational performance with both customer expectations and regulatory priorities. The appointment has provided executive stability while supporting Moat's ambition to become one of the sector's leading customer-focused housing associations.
The Impact
Leadership appointments influence far more than organisational charts. This appointment strengthened executive capability at an important point in Moat's journey, providing experienced leadership to improve customer services, support regulatory readiness and reinforce organisational accountability. By securing an executive whose experience combined operational delivery with cultural leadership, Neemar helped Moat continue building an organisation where customer experience is central to long-term success.
