Welcoming John Hughes – Our new Head of Assets & Sustainability
We are delighted to welcome John Hughes as our new Head of Assets & Sustainability.
John brings with him over two decades of experience in housing, construction, and asset management, having started his career as an apprentice bricklayer at Wakefield District Housing (WDH).
From those early days on the tools, John’s journey has taken him through a wide range of roles, from repairs and new builds to leading major construction projects and managing multimillion pound investment programmes.
His most recent role before joining us was at City of York Council, where he served as their Investment Manager. He led on housing asset management which included planned investment delivery and retrofit programmes.
Now at Ongo, John is responsible for overseeing asset condition and data, planned investment, non-housing assets like land and shops, facilities management, and driving forward their sustainability and decarbonisation agenda. This includes securing external funding for initiatives like solar panels and heat pumps.
So, why Ongo? For John, it was a combination of the role and the organisation. “This is a position I’ve been working towards for around five years,” he said. “When I researched Ongo, I could see straight away that this was the place for me. The focus on tenants, the human feel, and the values really resonated with me. The recruitment process was unlike anything I have experienced, and I was thrilled to be offered the role.”
In his first few months, John has already made a strong start. He’s introduced new specialist groups of colleagues to improve oversight and communication, and he’s been working closely with his team to review processes and documentation. “It’s early days, but I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
On the future, he added: “We’re facing significant challenges across the sector, from ageing components and looming Decent Homes two standards to EPC targets and compliance pressures like Awaab’s Law.
John is particularly passionate about the impact the teams work can have on tenants. “At the same time, we’re pushing forward with plans to enhance tenant experience, streamline asset management, and bring more functions in-house to deliver value and resilience.
“Installing new components in homes like kitchens or retrofit measures to reduce energy bills is some of the best work we can do, it’s incredibly rewarding and it’s what matters to our tenants.”
When he’s not at work, John is a dedicated family man who loves spending summer weekends at the coast. “I want to give my family the best life possible and all the things I could have only ever dreamt of as a kid. That’s what drives me.”
We are thrilled to have John on board and cannot wait to see the positive impact he’ll make!