18 January 2019

Getting to know a new client and building the all-important relationships and partnerships always brings an air of excitement. For our great new client GSA (Global Student Accommodation), we’re working with a newly formed senior team that’s heading up the UK business unit for this fast-paced and commercially focussed organisation.

Leading Edge is delighted to be supporting GSA’s new UK board of seven to develop individual leadership style while exploring strengths to enhance highly effective team (H.E.T.) working.

GSA is growing rapidly and this H.E.T. journey will support the board as it comes together under this new structure to both lead the UK business and operate more effectively as a strategic leadership team for the whole business.

About GSA

GSA operates globally to provide accommodation for students: safe and secure communities, close to university centres and transport links, with all-inclusive rents and amenities. Under the GSA umbrella, two closely aligned student brands – The Student Housing Company in the UK and Uninest Student Residences in Ireland – help students know what to expect when choosing a GSA development.

With a vision to be the global leader in student accommodation with over 250,000 beds under management by 2025, GSA is localising its businesses and restructuring to create autonomous country-based business units.

The UK business unit, created by bringing together the UK and Ireland teams, is the largest and most mature of these, and the new board has ambitious plans for UK growth up to 2025.

Team Coach Insights

Nigel Rothband

Leading Edge Team Coach

Nigel Rothband is the Leading Edge Team Coach supporting GSA’s senior team on this journey. He says:

“It is an absolute privilege to be closely involved with GSA at this pivotal time.

This new UK board needs to quickly gel to be able to work effectively as a high-performing leadership team and deliver its bold ambitions. The team needs to move out from under the ‘Group wing’ to lead this new business unit as a cohesive board.

Achieving this will mean a change from being the talented, experienced, committed and hard-working individuals they are now to being a team that retains all these excellent attributes while leading as one.

Insights Discovery is already proving powerful. By increasing self-awareness, individuals are recognising each other’s different perspectives – and what this means for group dynamics – as well as starting conversations to act on this new knowledge and achieve as a team.”