Paul Richards is our Group Director of Customer and Communities. Paul has worked in customer-focused roles throughout his career in leading customer service organisations such as the AA and Centrica and gained lots of experience working in housing. Since joining Orbit in January 2016, Paul has driven forward a customer focused culture to improve our services and relationship with you. This includes a customer promise, a customer hub office, reaching ROSPA gold standard for health and safety and lots of improvements to our digital offer, including our website. Paul also led a national campaign to tackle child poverty, working closely with customers, our Better Days teams, the government and local partners. Paul is a champion of the delivery of great customer service
Louise joined Orbit in 2016 and leads the customer services centre which includes the contact centre, tenancy sustainment, tenancy services, customer experience, lettings, rent collection and tackling anti-social behaviour. Prior to joining Orbit Louise worked for many years managing and delivering contracts for the Government across the NHS, Home Office, local authorities and education. Louise loves working for Orbit as it allows her to live her values to support people into sustainable housing and help end homelessness.
Tony joined Orbit in 2019 and has lead the Independent Living service along with Property Operations. A significant part of his career has been spent working in the specialist housing, care and support sector, with organisations such as Housing 21 and McCarthy and Stone. Tony is passionate about team culture and putting customers at the heart of what we do. Tony is also a Trustee for EROSH, a retirement housing body established to raise the standards of service across the UK.
Charley is responsible for ensuring that Orbit’s customers can directly input into the delivery and shape of Orbit services. His teams manage engagement with customers, using feedback and data to drive improvement to service delivery, whilst overseeing the delivery of customer communications and marketing, the delivery of our Better Days support programme and our partnerships with local authorities and government.
Charley joined Orbit in March 2015 and has delivered a number of strategic roles before moving into the Customer and Communities directorate in June 2021. Prior to this, he worked in the voluntary sector with Citizens Advice.
Francis joined Orbit in 2019 in the Independent Living team, having previously worked as Head of Care at Black Country Housing Group and has managed inspection teams at the Care Quality Commission. Francis has a range of experience in health and social care services and is passionate about providing high quality support to our communities, and leads our customer equality, diversity and inclusion programme. He is also a trustee of Compass Support, providing advice and guidance services in Birmingham and is on the board of The Pioneer Group, a housing association covering Castle Vale and East Birmingham
Dan joined Orbit in March 2021 as Commercial and Transformation Director and is responsible for procurement, contract and supply chain management across the Customer and Communities Directorate. Dan is also a Non-Executive Director of Miricyl, a children’s mental health charity, which is an area close to his heart. Prior to joining Orbit, Dan worked for Clear Channel International in the Out-of-Home advertising sector, as their Commercial Supply Chain Director.
