Get to Know Fran Giles, Director of Business Services

Over the past 20 years, Fran Giles has built a career that reflects both her own determination and the changing face of the residential property sector. Since joining Innovus in 2006 on a fixed-term contract, Fran has progressed from opening and sorting the post to becoming Director of Business Services. Today, she leads more than 200 colleagues across financial operations, governance and professional services, with her leadership recently recognised through her selection as a finalist in the 2026 Inspiring Women in Property (IWiP) Awards.

Fran's career began with a determination to build a secure future for herself. Rather than following a traditional route into higher education, she entered the world of work, inspired by the example set by her mum.

"My mum brought up me and my sister on her own and she always worked three jobs," she says. "It wasn't something that she hammered home in me. I think it was just something that was ingrained in me, that I needed to ensure my own financial security."

That determination, combined with a willingness to embrace every opportunity, saw Fran move through banking, billing, treasury and transactional finance, gaining experience across almost every area of the business she now leads. Early on, a senior colleague asked where she saw herself in five years. Like many ambitious 19-year-olds, her answer was refreshingly direct.

"I said, 'In your job.'"

Rather than dismissing her confidence, the business recognised her potential. A development role allowed Fran to work across multiple teams, broadening her experience and helping her understand how the organisation worked as a whole. From there, her career continued to evolve as she embraced new challenges, developed new skills and built expertise across almost every part of the business she now leads. That commitment to continual improvement has remained a constant throughout her career.

Having spent two decades in the industry, Fran has experienced first-hand the transformation from manual, paper-based processes to today's increasingly digital ways of working. While technology continues to improve efficiency, she believes professional services will always rely on trust, accountability and the human touch.

That balance between embracing change and valuing people has shaped Fran's leadership style. Leading such a broad business area means switching between procurement, treasury, governance and financial operations, often within the same day. Rather than trying to be the expert in every discipline, she believes the best ideas come from the people closest to the work. Her role is to bring those experts together, provide strategic direction and create an environment where they have the trust and autonomy to succeed.

Having led teams through significant change, Fran knows that lasting progress depends on bringing people with you. She believes the most successful organisations are those where people feel involved, listened to and empowered to shape the future together. Equally important has been her own growth as a leader. Learning to accept honest feedback, becoming more self-aware and finding the confidence to challenge constructively have all helped shape the leader she is today.

For Fran, leadership starts with authenticity.

"The person I am at home is the person I am at work," she says. "Honesty, trust and kindness are really important to me."

Those values underpin every aspect of her leadership. She believes empathy matters just as much as performance because everyone brings experiences and challenges that others may never see. Creating an environment built on trust, understanding and respect is something she strives for every day.

Despite the scale and complexity of her role, it's the pace and variety that continue to motivate her. More than 20 years after joining Innovus, she's still driven by the same mindset that has guided her career from the very beginning.

"I've always tried to do better than I did the day before."

It's a simple philosophy, but one that has guided Fran's journey through every stage of her career and continues to shape the way she leads today.