Two Innovus Leaders Recognised Among the UK’s Inspiring Women in Property Finalists

The property industry is shaped by people who are willing to lead through change, challenge the status quo and raise standards for everyone. The Inspiring Women in Property Awards were created to recognise those individuals and the impact they’re making across the sector.

This year, we're proud to see two Innovus colleagues recognised among the finalists. Fran Giles, Director of Business Services, has been shortlisted for Leader of the Year – Professional Services, while Sara Dobbs, Director of Building Safety, has been shortlisted in three categories: Leader of the Year – Residential, Team Leader of the Year – Residential, and Woman of the Year – Residential (Consultancy/Other Services).

Organised by Property Week as part of its Inspiring Diversity in Property campaign, the awards celebrate leadership, innovation and expertise across the UK property industry. They recognise the people helping to move the sector forward, whether that's through technical excellence, developing future talent, improving services or driving positive change across the profession.

For Innovus, these nominations are about more than individual recognition. They reflect the expertise our clients rely on every day, the strength of the teams behind our services, and the role our people continue to play in shaping a property sector that is changing at pace.

Few industries have experienced the level of change the property sector has seen in recent years. New regulation, evolving customer expectations and increasing operational complexity have created fresh challenges for property owners, managing agents and residents alike. In that environment, technical expertise is only part of the picture. Clients need trusted advisers who can interpret change, apply it in practice and give them confidence that they're making the right decisions.

That's what the Inspiring Women in Property Awards seek to recognise. They celebrate individuals whose leadership is making a measurable difference, not only within their own organisations but across the wider industry.

The awards also shine a light on an important issue for the profession. While women make up a significant proportion of the property workforce, they remain underrepresented in many senior leadership positions. Recognising today's leaders helps celebrate the expertise already driving the sector forward while encouraging the next generation to see leadership as a path open to them.

Recognising the People Behind the Work

The nominations recognise two very different areas of expertise, but both reflect the same thing: people who have made a significant contribution to their profession over the past year.

As Director of Business Services, Fran Giles leads the teams responsible for many of the services that sit behind the day-to-day running of residential developments, from company secretarial and governance support to finance and operational services. Over the past year, she has led the continued development of those services while supporting colleagues through significant change and expanding the ways Innovus can support clients. Alongside operational leadership, Fran has become an increasingly visible voice for the business, helping shape conversations around professional services in the residential property sector.

As Director of Building Safety, Sara Dobbs has helped lead Innovus through one of the biggest regulatory changes the industry has faced in a generation. Working closely with clients, she has played a key role in developing our building safety services and supporting organisations as they adapt to the requirements of the Building Safety Act. Alongside her client work, Sara has started to build a strong profile within the industry, sharing practical insight through conferences, panels and professional forums as building safety continues to evolve.

While the awards recognise individual leadership, they are rooted in real work delivered for clients every day. They recognise the ability to lead teams, respond to change, develop new ways of working and contribute positively to the wider industry. That's what makes being shortlisted such a significant achievement.

Neither Fran nor Sara would describe these nominations as theirs alone. The work recognised by the judges has only been possible because of the expertise and commitment of the colleagues they work alongside every day. Whether delivering projects, supporting clients, developing new services or sharing specialist knowledge, their teams have played an important role in the achievements being recognised.

For our clients, that's perhaps the most important takeaway. While the awards celebrate individual leaders, the expertise they recognise runs throughout Innovus. Our clients benefit from teams that are continually developing, sharing knowledge and working together to solve complex challenges.

The winners of the Inspiring Women in Property Awards will be announced in September. Whatever the outcome, we're delighted to see Fran and Sara recognised alongside some of the industry's leading professionals, and we wish them every success.

You can learn more about the IWiP awards here.