Pinnacle Group appoints former Army officer and Royal aide to key leadership role on MOD contract
Pinnacle Group has today announced the appointment of former Army officer Sarah Pittaway as the new Divisional Director for Pinnacle Service Families, one of the company’s largest contracts. It comes as Pinnacle Group builds on a series of contract wins in the past few months and looks to further strengthen its leadership team.
Sarah Pittaway said she was “committed to applying my experience to improve the quality of services we provide.”
Currently Deputy Chief Executive of the Union Jack Club – an HM Armed Forces members’ club – Sarah has a wealth of leadership expertise, including an early career as a Commissioned Army Officer.
As part of Sarah’s military career, she trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was deployed on multiple overseas engagements and operations, including Afghanistan, Cyprus, and Oman, as well as inter-military exchanges in France and Italy in support of NATO diplomatic relationships.
Her extensive career in senior executive roles includes Managing Director at fine dining and events caterer, Chester Boyd, Assistant Private Secretary in The Royal Household, and Senior Manager for Enterprise Risk at EY.
Joining Pinnacle in October, Sarah will head up the firm’s contract with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, managing 49,000 military family homes nationwide. She will oversee its 440-strong team across the National Service Centre in Liverpool and regionally throughout the UK.
“Sarah brings a unique and impressive blend of military and commercial experience, making her uniquely qualified to enhance the quality of services we provide. This new post has been created to drive further improvements for our military families. I look forward to welcoming her to the team and leveraging her expertise to support the families we serve.”
Claire Kober
Managing Director - Homes for Pinnacle Group
“I am thrilled to join Pinnacle Service Families as it will allow me to contribute to the vital work of supporting Service families. Whilst serving in the Army, and subsequently, I have been able to see first-hand the unique challenges faced by the military families community, and I am committed to applying my experience to improve the quality of services we provide.”
Sarah Pittaway
Divisional Director for Pinnacle Service Families
Pinnacle Group Secures Major Contract with HOCHTIEF to Manage Over 1,000 New Student Rooms
Pinnacle Group has been selected as a key delivery partner for Staffordshire University’s new purpose-built student accommodation village at its Stoke-on-Trent campus.
This landmark project, which received planning permission in March, will feature approximately 700 new student rooms in blocks and townhouses centred around a vibrant social hub. The village is set for completion in 2026.
Under the 50-year contract with German construction giant HOCHTIEF, Pinnacle will deliver a comprehensive range of services to ensure the facilities are well-managed and foster a community that students are excited to call home.
HOCHTIEF has formed a consortium – Staffordshire Campus Living – with Staffordshire University and Plenary to deliver the project, with Willmott Dixon constructing the new buildings. This includes the refurbishment of 300 existing en-suite rooms, which will also be managed by Pinnacle.
Pinnacle Group Chief Executive Perry Lloyd said: “We have a long track record of successfully managing and maintaining places where people live, learn, work, and play. We are delighted our unique offering has led to a new partnership with HOCHTIEF. With our expertise and track record of service delivery, we look forward to managing a home away from home for so many Staffordshire University students.”
Sally McGill, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Lead for Sustainability at Staffordshire University, added: “The new Student Village is a significant step forward in enhancing our campus infrastructure. This development not only addresses the growing demand for high-quality student accommodation but also aligns with our sustainability goals. The partnership with Pinnacle and HOCHTIEF will help us create a vibrant and sustainable living environment that supports our students’ academic and personal growth.”
This contract is the latest in a series of new business wins for Pinnacle, which recently announced partnerships with Kew Green Hotels, Funding Affordable Homes (FAH), and an expanded role with Legal & General Affordable Homes (LGAH), becoming its leading managing agent.
Pinnacle expands affordable homes contract – becoming Legal & General Affordable Homes’ leading managing agent
Pinnacle Group is set to more than double the number of homes it manages on behalf of Legal & General Affordable Homes (LGAH) as it becomes the provider’s leading managing agent.
In recent weeks, the housing services provider has taken on management services for an additional 900 homes – a mix of affordable rented and shared ownership – spread across the Southwest and Midlands, including The Berries in Paignton, Devon and Cross Trees Park in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.
Now, a further 40 shared ownership homes at a variety of locations across England will be managed by Pinnacle after we signed yet another agreement with LGAH.
In total, Pinnacle will now be responsible for managing around 1800 homes for LGAH, with a pipeline of new properties expanding the portfolio to at least 2600 homes over the next few years.
“Having begun our relationship with LGAH back in 2019, we’re thrilled our reputation for providing market-leading housing services has resulted in us becoming their leading managing agent. With our teams already delivering on the ground for the first tranche of new homes, we now look forward to serving even more communities across the country as the additional homes come under our management.”
Claire Kober
Managing Director, Homes at Pinnacle Group
Pinnacle’s role will include tenant on-boarding and management, building compliance, defect management, maintenance and void management.
Pinnacle will also work in close collaboration with LGAH in advance of the handover stage, including liaising with relevant local authorities on nominations agreements and the production of welcome packs and home user guides for prospective tenants.
Shaun Holdcroft, Operations Director, Legal & General Affordable Homes, said: “Pinnacle is a trusted partner of Legal & General Affordable Homes, and we are proud to have formed a robust and long term relationship over the past five years. We look forward to working with the Pinnacle team as we continue to serve our current and future residents by providing high quality, affordable housing right across the country. Our aim is to better people’s lives and ensure that everyone has access to our vision of a sustainable and affordable home.”
As we approach our 30th anniversary, Pinnacle continues to see considerable growth, having recently announced a new instruction with Funding Affordable Homes as well as its first Brighton-based contract.
Pinnacle Group wins first Brighton contract to manage hotel apartments
Pinnacle Group has won its first Brighton-based contract to provide management services to residential apartments above an historic seafront hotel.
Kew Green Hotels, which owns and manages over 55 hotels across the world, has selected Pinnacle to manage sixty-four leasehold apartments in the building, which overlooks Brighton’s Grand Pier.
Kew Green Hotels’ portfolio covers several leading global brands including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hilton and Marriott International, alongside managing several independent hotels and operating over 25 Holiday Inns under franchise across Europe.
The former Bedford Hotel, now Holiday Inn Brighton-Seafront, is an iconic landmark in the city, dating back to 1829. It counted Charles Dickens among its historic guests, though the current iteration of the building opened in 1967. Today, eleven floors of the hotel are used for luxury residential apartments.
"As we celebrate our thirtieth anniversary this year, we’re delighted to be expanding into Brighton, especially with such an iconic building.
This new contract represents yet another geographical expansion of our market-leading services, enabling us to deliver for local leaseholders while also exploring further opportunities in the region.
We look forward to working with our partner, Kew Green Hotels, to maintain high quality management standards and create a first-rate customer experience for the residents.”
Alex Elsy
Director of Assets and Residential Management, Pinnacle Group
Alongside residential management of the apartments, which begins this week, Pinnacle will also work in close collaboration with the hotel team on shared building services.
This instruction is another example of Pinnacle’s vast experience in forging partnerships to deliver comprehensive community solutions. It will see the organisation deploy its unique expertise to respond effectively to client and customer requirements, particularly in complex residential developments.
Chris Dexter, CEO of Kew Green Hotels said, “We look forward to working with the team at Pinnacle, supporting them in delivering exceptional services to residents at Bedford Towers, complemented by the operational excellence delivered by our team at the Holiday Inn Brighton-Seafront. At Kew Green Hotels, we set ourselves apart by combining years of experience with innovative ideas to deliver outstanding hotel services, delivering exceptional returns for hotel owners and partners throughout our portfolio of independent hotels through to global brands.”
Shane Willmoth, Director of Property at Kew Green Hotels added, "We are pleased to be working with the team at Pinnacle, who demonstrate strong experience in the UK residential services sector with a robust infrastructure and employee community.”
Pinnacle Group secures new contract with Funding Affordable Homes
Pinnacle Group has been appointed by Funding Affordable Homes Housing Association (FAHHA), a for-profit Registered Provider and Homes England investment partner, to provide management services at a new-build home counties housing scheme.
Sterling Gardens, a development of 119 apartments, including 27 for social rent, 30 shared ownership and 62 for affordable rent, is built on brownfield land in Newbury.
Pinnacle will act as managing agent at the scheme, conducting a full range of tenancy and estate management. The contract marks a new relationship for Pinnacle, which currently provides housing management services across a portfolio of over 70,000 properties nationwide.
As it approaches its 30th anniversary, the Group continues to see considerable growth, with plans to announce further contract wins in the coming weeks.
Laura Newey, Head of Partnerships - Homes, Pinnacle Group, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by FAHHA as their housing manager of choice on this exciting new scheme in Newbury.
‘Drawing on our experience of place-making, and place-keeping new communities on new build developments, we look forward to working with FAHHA to bring our market-leading services to the residents of Sterling Gardens.”
Paul Munday, CEO of FAHHA, said “FAHHA are hoping this project will be the start of a long-term relationship for the delivery of housing services by Pinnacle. Funding Affordable Homes (FAH), whose investment advisor is Edmond de Rothschild Real Estate Investment Management (EdR REIM), invested institutional capital alongside grant from Homes England to deliver 119 affordable homes from what was to be an entirely private sale development. The scheme demonstrates FAH’s commitment to providing tangible social benefit from its capital”.
Property Management 50 Awards Success for Leading Industry Influencer at Pinnacle Group
Rochelle Menville, Head of Operations (Homes) has been awarded a top spot in the 2023 Property Management 50 awards for leading the way in the property industry and being recognised as a top Influencer.
Rochelle is a CIH qualified Housing professional with over 18 years’ experience across social housing, leasehold and commercial management.
Rochelle said “It’s lovely to be nominated and be a Winner, and always nice to recognised for the work we do!”
Director of Assets and Residential, Alex Elsy, commented “I am so pleased that Rochelle that been recognised as an influencer in the 2023 PM50 Awards. It is well deserved recognition for all that she does both for Pinnacle Group and our clients, customers and the wider community.”
Congratulations to Rochelle and all of the other worthy winners. You can view the full list of winners here: 2023 Property Management 50 Winners
Pinnacle Affordable Homes Strengthens Board With Two New Independent Non-Executives
Pinnacle Affordable Homes has appointed two new independent non-executive directors, Gerri Scott and Dominic Grace, to its board.
Gerri and Dominic each have more than three decades’ experience in the sector and will strengthen Pinnacle Affordable Homes' mission to provide high-quality affordable housing solutions to residential communities.
Pinnacle Affordable Homes, a Registered Provider of Affordable Housing and a subsidiary of Pinnacle Group, has been a trusted provider of affordable housing since 2012. With a demonstrable commitment to excellence and a proven track record, Pinnacle Affordable Homes is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for affordable housing in the UK.
Gerri Scott assumes her role on the board following three successful years as Executive Director of Customer Service at L&Q, one of the UK's largest housing associations. Gerri's previous positions, including Strategic Director of Housing and Modernisation for the London Borough of Southwark, have equipped her with a deep understanding of the operational and customer service aspects of the sector. Her comprehensive knowledge and insights will enhance the quality of Pinnacle Affordable Homes' services.
Dominic Grace joins the board after an illustrious 37-year career at Savills, where he played a pivotal role in establishing their highly successful London Residential Development team. Dominic brings invaluable expertise in property development and sales. His consultancy and advisory skills will prove instrumental in shaping Pinnacle Affordable Homes' strategic initiatives for sustainable growth.
"We are thrilled to welcome and Gerri and Dominic to our Board," said Nick Wright, Chair of Pinnacle Affordable Homes. "Their extensive industry experience and remarkable leadership qualities will be invaluable as we continue to address the critical need for affordable housing in the UK. We are confident that their contributions will greatly benefit our organisation and the communities we serve."
Gerri said: “I am delighted to join the board, having worked in the affordable housing space for many years, I welcome the opportunity to contribute my experience in strategic housing management, customer service, and performance improvement to further enhance the impact of Pinnacle Affordable Homes. Together, we will strive to address the pressing need for affordable housing and contribute to the well-being of individuals and communities across the country.”
Dominic said: "I am thrilled to join the board as an independent non-executive director. Having spent my career in the real estate industry, I have witnessed the crucial role that affordable housing plays in creating inclusive and thriving communities and I am honoured to be a part of an organisation that is committed to making a positive impact on people's lives.”
The addition of Gerri and Dominic to the Pinnacle Affordable Homes board underscores the organisation's commitment to delivering affordable housing solutions that empower individuals and families to thrive. Their unique perspectives and expertise will help drive innovation, foster sustainable growth, and ensure Pinnacle Affordable Homes is at the forefront of the affordable housing sector.
For more information about Pinnacle Affordable Homes, please click here.
Pinnacle Group lands Canary Wharf Group contract
Pinnacle Group has been awarded the contract to provide housing management and resident repairs at the affordable rented homes development in Wood Wharf, the new neighbourhood in the heart of Canary Wharf, London.
The five-year contract for Canary Wharf Group will see Pinnacle looking after 143 affordable rented homes made up of one, two, three and four bed apartments.
Pinnacle will provide maintenance and communal area cleaning and oversee management of issues and tenancies, including successions and void periods for two blocks that are part of the first phase of Wood Wharf, part of the sustainable community at Canary Wharf.
It is also managing the letting process with Tower Hamlets Council, which includes vetting applicants conducting both virtual and in-person viewings and arranging the tenancies.
“Pinnacle is delighted to have been awarded this contract from Canary Wharf Group and we have been working hard to fill the apartments as quickly as we can. At the moment it is taking only ten days from tenant referral to sign up, and we have signed up nearly 100 residents.”
Pratik Popat
Pinnacle Group Regional Manager
Pinnacle will employ at least 25% of its workforce at Wood Wharf from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Later this year, Pinnacle will also start its programme of courses to help residents improve their employability with job seeking advice and training.
When completed, Wood Wharf will have up to 3,600 homes, retail, office, an NHS medical centre and primary school, waterside and cycle paths with parks and gardens.
Pinnacle Group awarded major Contract to manage 49,000 Service Family homes on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation
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Pinnacle Group has been awarded a landmark contract to deliver National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and will be responsible for providing accommodation services to 49,000 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes from March 2022.
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Pinnacle Group will play the lead customer-facing role in the provision of these high-quality services to Service Personnel and their families across the UK and overseas, delivering and enhancing the lived experience.
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With a total core contract value of £144m over the initial seven-year period, and a further three one-year extension options, this contract is a key element of the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services Contracts, which includes Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS).
Pinnacle Group has been awarded a contract to manage 49,000 service family homes across the UK and overseas delivering accommodation services to Service Personnel and their families. Awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) the seven-year contract has a core value of £144m, with three optional one-year extensions. The landmark National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) contract is a key element of the Future Defence Infrastructure Contracts and will begin in March 2022.
Pinnacle’s offer places customers at the heart of the service and recognises that there is a ‘family behind every door’. Introducing innovative technology and digitalisation will enhance the lived experience by maximising customer choice.
Building on decades of accommodation services expertise across public and private sectors, Pinnacle will offer service personnel and their families a real step-change in experience when moving in and out of accommodation, with a real focus on improving the customer journey throughout the whole process. Pinnacle will work closely with key stakeholders including the Service Families Federations, RAMS providers and delivery partners, such as Sopra Steria as digital transformation lead, to deliver and enhance the service through effective day to day collaboration.
"Accommodation is such an important part of family life for Servicemen and women, which is why we collaborated closely with representatives of our Service personnel and their families to develop these contracts and ensure that their needs are fully considered.
“These new contracts offer the opportunity to break decisively from the past and to build on the commitments made by all suppliers to innovate and deliver more responsive and flexible services to the Armed Forces and their families.”
Air Commodore James Savage
DIO Head of Accommodation
“Securing the right to manage Service Family Accommodation on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation is a huge honour and responsibility. We understand the importance of high-quality accommodation services to the recruitment and retention of Armed Forces Service Personnel and their families and appreciate the trust the DIO have placed in us. Pinnacle Group brings over 25 years of service delivery experience to this contract and we are committed to deploying it for the benefit of all customers.”
Peregrine Lloyd
Group Chief Executive of Pinnacle Group
“Working collaboratively with our delivery partners, Pinnacle Group will bring a fresh approach to the delivery of accommodation services for all those in Service Family Accommodation. We are passionate about transforming delivery, enhancing the use of technology and providing a more convenient, accessible and valued service. Our Service Personnel deserve nothing less.”
Claire Kober
Managing Director, Homes