Marc Vlessing is stepping down as chair of Pocket Living after more than two decades leading the London-based compact homes developer, the company has announced.
Vlessing co-founded Pocket Living with Paul Harbard over 20 years ago, establishing it as one of the capital’s most distinctive residential developers. The company has delivered more than 1,800 homes since its inception, including the modular tower at Mapleton Terrace in Wandsworth and the RIBA award-winning scheme at Forest Road in Waltham Forest.
Vlessing moved into the chair role in April 2024, as part of a planned transition that saw chief executive Paul Rickard’s leadership team take on operational responsibility for the business.
Vlessing said: “I am enormously proud of everything we have built together over more than two decades and this feels like a natural moment to focus on the next stage of my career. When I took on the role of chair in April 2024, the intention was always to complete a structured handover and ensure the business was in strong hands – and it is.
“Paul Rickard and the Pocket team have demonstrated the leadership and creativity this company needs to grow to the next stage of its development. Pocket remains a business with purpose at its heart, with a brilliant team and a model that continues to offer one of the best solutions to London’s housing challenge.
“I leave with great confidence in Pocket’s future and am looking forward to the next chapter with Namier Capital, which I have joined as a senior partner and co-owner, as well as my other advisory work in the public and private sector.”
Rickard said: “Marc’s contribution to Pocket Living – and to London housing more broadly – is simply extraordinary. He and his partner built a business from scratch, invented a product category, and proved that doing the right thing and building a successful company are not in conflict. The transition we have been managing since April 2024 has been deliberate and smooth, and I am grateful for Marc’s support throughout. The team, the vision, and the next stage of Pocket’s growth are all in great shape, and we look forward to the next chapter with great excitement.”
Nick Raynsford, former Pocket non-executive director and a former minister of state for housing and planning, said: “Marc Vlessing has made a hugely important contribution to British housing over the past 20 years, and it is right that we should celebrate his achievements as he moves on to the next stage of his career.
“He has demonstrated vision in pioneering a radical new approach to the provision of compact, affordable homes, focussing particularly on the needs of key workers and city-makers; determination in facing down the myriad bureaucratic and financial obstacles that have from the outset stood in the way of Pocket Living’s development; and judgement in recognising that quality and affordability are not inevitably in conflict and demonstrating that it is possible to develop exemplary schemes at a substantial discount to market prices.
“Having developed more than 1,800 homes, with schemes in more than half of all London boroughs, Pocket Living is now well placed to expand its output both in London and more widely. Thank you Marc, and the very best of luck in your new ventures.”
Vlessing’s last day as chair will be 30 September 2026. He will then focus on his role as senior partner at Namier Capital Partners, a London-based investment and advisory firm working on energy transition, healthcare and the creative industries, alongside his continuing chairmanship of ProVen Growth & Income VCT Plc.
Main image: Marc Vlessing, chair, Pocket Living
Read next: UK and US sign fusion clean energy pact
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
