Notting Hill Genesis, Chief Customer Officer
When Notting Hill Genesis began the search for its next Chief Customer Officer, the appointment carried significance far beyond filling a vacant executive position. The organisation was responding to regulatory judgements of G3 for governance and C3 for consumer standards and had agreed to an ambitious recovery plan with the Regulator of Social Housing. At the same time, Patrick Franco had recently joined as Chief Executive and was building a leadership team capable of restoring confidence across the organisation . The incoming Chief Customer Officer would become one of the most visible leaders within the business, responsible for services affecting more than 130,000 residents while leading improvements in resident experience, operational performance and regulatory compliance. It was an appointment that would be watched closely across the housing sector.
The Challenge
Following regulatory judgements of G3 for governance and C3 for consumer standards, the organisation had agreed a detailed improvement plan with the Regulator of Social Housing, built around eleven workstreams designed to restore compliance. While that programme touched every part of the business, customer services sat at its centre. Improving the experience of residents, strengthening operational performance and rebuilding organisational confidence would require sustained executive leadership over several years.
The Chief Customer Officer would therefore inherit one of the broadest operational portfolios within the organisation. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the role carried responsibility for housing management, responsive repairs, neighbourhood services, customer insight, estate management, income collection, operational strategy and the customer experience for more than 130,000 residents. Alongside leading day-to-day services, the successful candidate would play a central role in delivering the Better Together strategy and supporting the organisation's return to regulatory compliance.
For Patrick Franco, who had recently joined as Chief Executive, the appointment represented an opportunity to strengthen the executive team at an important stage in the organisation's development. Having come into housing from outside the sector, Patrick was looking for someone who could bring considerable operational credibility, challenge constructively where needed and provide confidence to colleagues, residents and the Board. The successful candidate needed to be someone whose judgement carried weight because of what they had already achieved rather than simply the position they held. That immediately narrowed the market.
The Search
There are many capable customer leaders within housing, but very few have first-hand experience of leading organisations through periods of regulatory intervention while simultaneously managing large operational services. Fewer still would consider moving into a role that would inevitably attract attention from across the sector.
The wider market context also influenced the search. The regulatory judgement was public. Sector commentary was extensive. Every prospective candidate understood both the opportunities and the pressures attached to the appointment before the first conversation took place. Understandably, some questioned whether this was the right point in their career to take on such a visible leadership position.
This created a challenge familiar to many organisations operating under regulatory scrutiny. The external narrative can quickly become the defining narrative. Unless handled carefully, candidates begin to assess the organisation through headlines rather than through its leadership, its culture or its ambitions.
Patrick was clear that this appointment should not be defined by the organisation's regulatory position alone. The Board wanted to recruit someone who believed in where Notting Hill Genesis was going, not simply someone prepared to manage where it had been. That distinction shaped the search from the outset.
The Solution
Rather than beginning with candidate identification, we began by understanding the leadership challenge facing the organisation. Over a series of conversations with Patrick and key stakeholders, we explored what success would genuinely look like over the following three to five years. Those discussions moved well beyond technical capability. We wanted to understand how the executive team operated, where complementary strengths were needed and the type of leadership that would help accelerate organisational progress.
One theme emerged consistently. Technical expertise alone would not be enough. The successful candidate needed to combine credibility with emotional intelligence. They needed to understand regulation without becoming consumed by it. They needed to command respect from operational teams while retaining the confidence of the Board. They also needed the resilience to make difficult decisions in an environment where progress would be measured closely by both the regulator and residents. Those conversations fundamentally shaped the search strategy.
A traditional executive search campaign would have focused on producing a strong candidate brief, approaching known leaders and managing a confidential search process. While those disciplines remained important, we felt they would not be sufficient on their own. The market needed a richer understanding of the opportunity.
The Campaign
Candidates needed to hear directly from Patrick Franco about why he had joined the organisation, what he believed the future looked like and why this role represented an opportunity to influence one of the country's largest housing associations at an important stage in its development.
Working closely with the Notting Hill Genesis communications team, we developed a bespoke digital attraction campaign built around a series of weekly LinkedIn videos. Rather than presenting a polished corporate message, the content focused on honest conversations about leadership, ambition, organisational change and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for residents. The response exceeded expectations.
Across the campaign, the content generated more than 32,000 LinkedIn views and reached senior leaders well beyond the immediate executive search market. Importantly, the campaign also became a valuable internal communication tool, helping colleagues see the organisation's ambitions reflected publicly while reinforcing confidence in the appointment process.
For prospective candidates, the campaign created something that written briefs rarely achieve. It allowed them to understand the organisation through its leadership rather than through external commentary. That proved particularly important when engaging Victor da Cunha.
The appointment of Victor brought exactly the experience Patrick and the Board had set out to find. As a sitting housing Chief Executive, he offered not only operational expertise but also first-hand experience of leading an organisation through regulatory recovery. That combination of strategic leadership, customer focus and executive credibility made him uniquely placed to support Notting Hill Genesis at a defining stage in its journey.
The Outcome
Victor da Cunha joined Notting Hill Genesis as Chief Customer Officer from his role as Chief Executive of Curo, bringing with him direct experience of leading regulatory recovery, organisational integration and large-scale operational services.
The appointment strengthened the executive team with a leader whose experience aligned closely with the organisation's immediate priorities. Beyond leading customer services for more than 130,000 residents, Victor became a key member of the executive team responsible for delivering improvements in resident satisfaction, operational performance and regulatory compliance.
The search also demonstrated the value of presenting leadership opportunities differently. Rather than allowing external perception to shape the narrative, the organisation engaged the market through an open and authentic conversation about its ambitions, its leadership and the opportunity ahead. The bespoke digital campaign broadened engagement, generated more than 32,000 LinkedIn views and helped attract a candidate who may never have engaged through a conventional executive search process.
For Patrick Franco and the Board, the outcome was more than a successful appointment. It was the recruitment of a proven housing leader whose experience reflected the organisation's ambitions and whose credibility would help support its next stage of development.
Candidate Testimonial
"The quality of the briefing and Tom's knowledge of the organisation stood out from the outset. He was accessible throughout, provided balanced advice and made the process feel collaborative rather than transactional. It was a thoroughly positive experience and one that reflected the professionalism of everyone involved."
Client Testimonial
"We partnered with Neemar Search on the appointment of our new Chief Customer Officer and, having worked with a number of executive search firms over the years, they are the most strategic search firm I have ever worked with. Tom provides excellent counsel throughout the process, taking the time to understand our organisation, challenge our thinking and act as a genuine trusted adviser.
“The bespoke video campaign transformed how we presented the opportunity. It strengthened colleague engagement, enhanced our profile in the market and ultimately helped attract exceptional leadership talent. Neemar's innovative approach and deep understanding of the social housing sector made them a true strategic partner rather than simply a recruitment consultancy."
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