New chief executive for Homeserve UK
A new chief executive is heading from the US to take the helm at Walsall’s HomeServe UK.
John Kitzie succeeds Greg Reed who has decided to leave HomeServe after eight years with the company.
Reed, the overall winner at TheBusinessDesk’s Midlands Leadership Awards in 2018, joined HomeServe as chief marketing officer in 2012 as part of the new senior leadership team brought in to make significant changes to the company culture.
He became UK CEO in 2017.
The winners of the 2018 Midlands Leadership Awards
Under Reed, HomeServe UK has doubled the number of repair jobs undertaken over the last five years by extending its product coverage.
The company is Walsall’s biggest employer, with more than 3,000 staff, 2.1 million customers and a turnover of £326m.
Reed, who leave in October, said: “Having the freedom and support to build a service company that genuinely puts customers first every time, and one that recognises the value and the contribution of its people across the whole organisation, has been a privilege.
“I’m proud of how we’ve seen our culture and our brand evolve over the last eight years. Now feels like the right time for me to move on and I am pleased to be leaving HomeServe having achieved everything I wanted, and more.”
Kitzie has been with HomeServe North America since 2012, first as COO and since 2018 as chief executive.
North America is HomeServe’s largest and fastest growing business, and has delivered substantial growth in customer numbers, revenue and operating profits under Kitzie’s leadership.
He said: “I am excited by the challenge of preparing the UK business for a period of sustained growth. It’s a mature market but I see lots of potential for transformation and innovation, in the service of our customers. I am really looking forward to working closely with our teams, our partners and our customers and exploring new ways to continue to build our UK business.”
