After more than five years of dedicated leadership, we are announcing that that Kelly-Anne Watson is moving on from her role as Managing Director.

Her leadership, characterised by vision, empathy, and an unwavering dedication to our community, has been instrumental in shaping the platform into what it is today. Under her stewardship, we have achieved significant growth and strengthened the partnerships that lie at the heart of our work. While her departure marks the end of an era, we take comfort in the knowledge that she will remain active within our sector.

Read below for her personal message to the community:

"After five and a half years at The Class Foundation, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to step down from my role as Managing Director. My final working day will be 6 November, immediately after The Class Conference.

My better half and I, have decided to move back to the UK to be closer to our families, pursue an exciting opportunity and begin the next chapter of our lives. Although I know this is the right decision for us, it has been an incredibly emotional one for me. The Class has been such a significant part of my life, and I feel enormously privileged to have grown alongside the organisation and helped shape what it has become.

When I joined The Class in 2021, I could never have imagined everything we would go on to achieve together. Over the last half a decade, our community has:

Grown from 52 Partners to more than 120 organisations, collectively representing over three million student beds across Europe.

Developed The Class Conference into a gathering of more than 600 senior leaders, representing over 250 organisations and 40 countries.

Created national forums, roundtables, Boardroom sessions and community platforms that bring together investors, operators, universities, cities, policymakers and the next generation of talent.

Co-created the European Student Living Monitor, surveyed more than 30,000 students and published research that has strengthened the sector’s understanding of investment, affordability, wellbeing and the student experience.

Established national housing initiatives across the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy and the UK, while building meaningful relationships with national governments and the European Commission.

Launched initiatives such as Smart Student Living and our Community Hubs, creating new opportunities for operators and emerging professionals to share knowledge and shape the future of the sector.

More recently, we have worked to establish The Class as an increasingly strategic and influential voice for student living - connecting capital, policy, housing and higher education to help create the conditions for more good-quality, affordable student homes to be delivered.

I am incredibly proud of that progress, but none of it belongs to one person. It has been made possible by the dedication of our international team and by the trust, ideas, challenge and commitment of you - our Partners. Thank you for believing in The Class and for helping us build a genuinely collaborative European community.

We have also worked carefully to put strong leadership in place for the organisation’s next chapter. Jenny Leach former Greystar’s European Marketing Director, will join The Class as our new Managing Director, bringing extensive leadership experience across the living sector, brand and advocacy. Ahmed will also join as Director of Operations, bringing around 10 years of operational and management experience from partners such as Nido, Unite and Almero. We will share more about them and the transition over the coming weeks.

While I am stepping away from The Class, I am not stepping away from the sector. I will be taking on a new leadership position within the wider living industry, so I won’t be going too far. I look forward to sharing more about that next chapter soon and very much hope to remain part of The Class community.

For now, I remain fully committed to supporting the team, ensuring a smooth transition and delivering an exceptional Class Conference in November. I can’t think of a more fitting way to finish my time as Managing Director than by bringing this community together and celebrating everything we have built.

Leading The Class has been one of the greatest privileges and experiences of my career. Thank you for your trust, friendship and support over the last five and a half years. I have made memories and relationships that I will carry with me for a very long time. ‍

I look forward to seeing many of you in Amsterdam in November.

With gratitude,

Kelly-anne"

In reflecting on Kelly-Anne’s tenure, our co-founder, Frank Uffen, shared the following:

"After more than five incredible years, Kelly-Anne is moving on, and while we’re sad to see her go, we’re so grateful for everything she’s given this community. Her empathy, vision, and dedication have shaped this platform in a way that only she could have. She tackled challenges head-on, brought people together, and led with heart.

As our founder, I’ve watched this community grow beyond what I imagined and so much of that is thanks to her. The good news is that she’s staying in the sector, so this isn’t goodbye forever. On behalf of all our partners and everyone who’s worked with her: thank you, Kelly-Anne. You’ve been a wonderful colleague and an even better friend."

Her impact will continue to shape our community for years to come, and we wish her every success in her next chapter. We also want to assure our partners and community that we remain fully dedicated to supporting you as we transition into this new phase. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our team should you require assistance. We look forward to seeing many of you in Spain and at our annual conference, where we will have the opportunity to celebrate Kelly-Anne's legacy in person.