ARL strengthens senior team as it marks a decade of rental living sector leadership

Alex brings over 20 years of operations and trade organisation experience with former roles at UK Finance, Digital Catapult, Capital Enterprise and others. In his role, Alex will support the ARL as it grows, utilising his membership experience and high-growth scale-up expertise.

The second senior hire, joining from 20 July 2026, is Louisa Batts as Head of Membership, Governance and Engagement. Louisa comes from Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe bringing a decade of experience leading the strategy, operations and growth of ULI Europe’s industry forums programme: multi-market, member-led platform for senior real estate professionals

Louisa’s appointment follows Amanda Keane’s decision to resign from her role as Head of Governance and Engagement to take up a new opportunity outside the rental living sector. 

Amanda has made a significant contribution to the ARL over the last six years - a period of important growth and development for the organisation. In her new role as Head of Membership, Governance and Engagement, Louisa will build on this work, leading the ARL’s membership activity, governance support and wider member engagement, working closely with the CEO, Board, committee chairs and senior members.

Incoming Director of Operations, Alex, will also assume the existing operational responsibilities of Graham Sibley who will take up the new position of Head of Business Development & Partnerships at the ARL, a senior strategic role responsible for building, strengthening, and managing the ARL’s partnership and commercial relationships across the rental living sector.

Brendan Geraghty, ARL CEO, comments: “After ten years of building the UK's only rental living-specific trade organisation from the ground up, we are excited to be able to continue to invest in and expand our team to match the scale of our ambitions for the next decade and beyond. 

“I wish to express deep thanks to Amanda who has been instrumental in getting the organisation to where it is today and wish her  the very best as she  moves to the next chapter of her career. I am also delighted that Graham Sibley will move into a new key senior role within the organisation as Head of Business Development & Partnerships, where he will continue to play an important role in the expansion of the ARL and supporting our members.

“We warmly welcome Alex and Louisa and look forward to their contributions in further developing the ARL’s governance, commercial development and sector partnerships for the benefit of members, and the wider rental living sector.”

Helen Kings, ARL Board Chair, comments: “As the ARL builds upon its decade of success, we welcome the development of the team in support of the ambitions of the organisation to grow and further its role as the voice of the rental living sector, today and tomorrow.”