Notting Hill Genesis, one of London’s largest not-for-profit housing associations, today announces the appointment of Tabitha Kassem as chief governance and risk officer and Craig Wilcockson as chief people officer. In these newly created roles, both Tabitha and Craig will serve as members of the group’s executive board, reflecting the important part these functions will play in the organisation's transformation.
Tabitha will join Notting Hill Gensis in April 2025 from Heylo, one of the UK’s leading shared ownership providers, where she is currently general counsel and director of governance. She has extensive experience at executive and non-executive level across both not-for-profit and private housing providers as well as in the charitable sector. A qualified solicitor, her career spans corporate governance, including compliance and assurance, as well as legal and regulatory functions.
As chief governance and risk officer, Tabitha will lead on the effective management of risks as well as regulatory compliance in what is an increasingly complex and demanding regulatory landscape. She will also manage the functions carried out by our existing governance, risk and corporate compliance teams, bringing them under one umbrella, and act as company secretary.
Sara Thomson, who has been working with us since a June in an interim capacity will continue now in the new executive level role until Tabitha joins us to ensure a smooth transition.
Craig, who joins us in December as chief people officer, will oversee the existing human resources and communications functions ensuring our people and engagement programmes support the objectives of our Better Together strategy. He will lead organisational development with the aim of making Notting Hill Genesis both an employer of choice and support our progress towards becoming a customer-centric organisation.
Craig is an experienced executive and non-executive director who has worked across public and private companies, including in the not-for-profit housing sector and the NHS. Most recently, he served as chief people officer at Marston Holdings, a business comprising eight companies delivering end-to-end technology, consultancy and debt management services. Craig is also a non-executive director and chair of the people and culture committee at Nottingham University NHS Trust.
The chief governance and risk officer and chief people officer are both new roles at Notting Hill Genesis. They were created in August 2024 to support our transformation and the future delivery of our Better Together strategy as it moved into its second year. A third new executive-level role to lead organisational effectiveness will be filled by Vipul Thacker from January 2025. Currently group director of central services at Notting Hill Genesis, Vipul’s new role will create extra capacity at leadership level to focus on specific improvement projects.
Chief executive Patrick Franco said: “We have made a good start, but we need to accelerate our transformation to deliver for our residents. Our newly updated executive structure is a core part of this, ensuring clearer links between our strategic objectives and the executives responsible for delivering them. I am delighted to welcome Tabitha and Craig to the team during this pivotal moment for Notting Hill Genesis and I am equally pleased that Vipul will continue to bring his invaluable leadership to the organisation in his new role.
“As we navigate an increasingly complex and challenging regulatory environment, we’ve taken the decision to establish a new executive board role dedicated to managing compliance and risk. Tabitha was an outstanding candidate for this position, bringing a unique combination of legal expertise and experience across business, not-for-profit and charitable sectors. Her leadership will be vital as we navigate these challenges.
“Craig’s appointment, meanwhile, addresses a critical need for executive-level leadership in the people area of our business. His expertise will be instrumental in accelerating our transformation and improving the services we provide to our130,000 customers.
“I am looking forward to both Tabitha and Craig joining us and am confident that they are both perfectly positioned to drive significant impact at our organisation.”
Tabitha commented: “I am delighted to be returning to the not-for-profit social housing sector. I am especially pleased to be joining Notting Hill Genesis, with its long history of providing homes for Londoners and a clear plan to better deliver for its residents. I’m looking forward to applying my housing experience both commercially at Heylo, as well as at Network Homes and in the charity sector, to ensure we are set up and managed in the best way to deliver what we must for our residents.”
Craig added: “I am pleased to be coming back to social housing. I firmly believe that talented individuals and a robust and resilient organisational culture are fundamental to the success of any organisation. I know my new colleagues are inspired by the fact that hundreds of thousands of Londoners rely on us to provide them with a decent place to live and our collective challenge is to do a better job for them. I look forward to supporting Notting Hill Genesis as we work together to meet this challenge.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Notting Hill Genesis
A home provides the basis for a stable and healthy society, but London’s housing crisis means that for too many Londoners, a home is out of reach.
We’re a not-for-profit organisation providing quality London homes at below-market rents for people that would otherwise struggle to afford them. We are both a landlord and developer, with more than 60,000 homes and a well-established commercial business, from which we reinvest to subsidise more affordable homes and rents across the capital.
Founded in the 1960s to address slum conditions in west London, we’re now one of London’s largest charitable housing associations and a leading advocate and trusted partner to local councils and government, giving Londoners a base and community from which to achieve their potential.
Powered by half a billion pounds of investment through our Better Together strategy, we’re on a mission to improve how we deliver even better-quality homes, connections and places for our 130,000 existing residents, while continuing to build and develop new and more affordable homes, so that more people can continue to make London home.
For media enquiries please contact Wayne Tuckfield on 020 3815 0184 or email media@nhg.org.uk
