Student accommodation specialist Nido Living has appointed Joanne Pollard as the company’s new chief operating officer (COO).
Pollard most recently served as COO at Empiric Student Property and prior to that she held leadership roles at Prime Student Living, Campus Living Villages, The Mansion Group and Five Nine Living.
In her new role, Pollard will be based in the UK and will support operations across Nido’s European portfolio, including at its group HQ in Amsterdam, its Iberia platform and planned market entries in Italy and Germany. Pollard replaces former COO Darren Gardner, who recently stepped down.
Carlo Matta, CEO of Nido Living, said: “We are delighted to welcome Joanne to Nido Living. The COO role is crucial as we scale our integrated platform with a target of delivering and operating 25,000 beds by 2031. Joanne’s operational expertise and sector knowledge will be instrumental as we expand further in Iberia and establish ourselves in Germany and Italy – all while staying focused on continuing to deliver exceptional living experiences for our students across Europe.”
Pollard added: “I am beyond excited to be joining Nido Living, a brand that leads with purpose and is recognised for its strong focus on delivering an exemplary student experience, prioritising wellbeing, community, sustainability and design and technology, as well as driving forward core values I share: respect, innovation, excellence and collaboration. I look forward to supporting its ambitious expansion across markets as well as supporting the drive for innovation and an exemplary student experience.”
