Former Livv boss named interim chief executive of Switchee

It added: “Her appointment reflects conviction, shared by the board and investors, that the next phase of growth demands a leader who has sat on both sides of the relationship.”

Ms Hearne is currently an associate director at housing consultancy ARK and a non-executive board member at Notting Hill Genesis, where she chairs the regulatory compliance sub-committee.

Commenting on the news, she said: “I have spent my career working to make homes safer, warmer and fairer.

“Joining Switchee is not a departure from that mission – it is an acceleration.

“What Tom and the team have built here is remarkable – technology that genuinely changes the lives of residents, data that helps landlords make better decisions and a company whose purpose is inseparable from its product. 

“The opportunities facing the sector, such as Awaab’s Law, fuel poverty and the decarbonisation agenda, are exactly the opportunities Switchee was built for.

“I am proud to be leading this next chapter.”

Mr Robins will leave Switchee after six years at the helm, which included launching its housing fuel poverty index, a measure of fuel poverty in the sector, and a mechanism to give energy vouchers to residents experiencing fuel poverty.

He also oversaw the company when it developed Mould IQ, which focuses on resolving damp and mould cases to help providers comply with Awaab’s Law.

Mr Robins said: “Leading Switchee has been the greatest privilege of my working life.

“We set out to prove that technology and data could fundamentally improve the lives of people in social housing, and we have done exactly that, at scale. Handing over to Leann feels right for this moment. 

“She brings the kind of sector knowledge, regulatory credibility and determination that Switchee’s next phase demands.

“The company is stronger than it has ever been, and I am genuinely excited about what comes next.”