Hospitality executive recruited to run Moda’s residential portfolio

Developer Moda has appointed a senior hospitality executive to a new role leading its operational arm.

Richard Smith will be the managing director of Moda Life Management, which runs its build-to-rent (BTR) business.

Smith was previously brand and operations director at De Vere, responsible for the portfolio of 22 De Vere hotels and conference centres in the UK.

Smith said: “By communicating that a Moda neighbourhood is so much more than four walls, we can transform the residential sector and deliver experiences to residents previously associated with an exclusive hospitality environment.

Moda Living is a joint venture between Caddick Group and Generate Land, which is backed by Apache Capital Partners.

It has a £2.5bn portfolio – including The Lexington in Liverpool, which opens next summer, and Moda Angel Gardens in Manchester, where Smith will be based.

Smith added: “There is still much work to be done on educating what BTR really represents in the UK. We will build a community culture that is customised to whichever city we are operating in, whilst ensuring that siloed teams across the UK maintain a core set of brand standards to align our Next Generation Neighbourhoods irrespective of location or target resident.”