The July Appoints Joost van Beek as Chief Executive Officer to Lead Next Phase of European Growth
The July, the European lifestyle apartment-hotel brand known for its blend of short- and long-stay hospitality and community-driven spaces, today announced the appointment of Joost van Beek as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 2026. He succeeds co-founder and CEO Alexander Goad, who has played a pivotal role in building The July into the distinctive lifestyle apartment-hotel platform it is today and is ensuring a smooth and structured transition to support the company’s next phase of international growth.
Van Beek joins from The Social Hub, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and played a central role in the company’s transformation into a pan-European hospitality platform. During his tenure, he helped scale the business to more than 20 locations across Europe, leading multiple openings and driving operational excellence across mixed-use, hybrid hospitality formats.
His experience spans both short-stay and extended-stay models, as well as the creation of vibrant, community-oriented destinations – capabilities that align closely with The July’s strategic direction as it accelerates its international expansion.
The July currently operates properties in Amsterdam and London, including the standalone ID Aparthotel brand owned by the group, and has a strong development pipeline with new projects planned in Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Dublin over the coming years. This expansion reinforces the company’s ambition to become the leading flexible stay brand in Europe’s most dynamic urban markets.
The company is backed by Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest pension funds, who recently strengthened their European presence with the opening of a London office —underscoring a long-term commitment to investing in high-quality real assets and platforms across the region.
“We are entering an exciting phase of growth,” said Francoise Dechesne, on behalf of the Board. “Joost brings deep operational expertise, a proven track record in scaling complex hospitality platforms, and a leadership style that strongly aligns with The July’s values. We are confident he will guide the company successfully through its next chapter.”
Van Beek added: “The July has built something truly distinctive; a brand that combines high-quality hospitality with a strong sense of place. I am excited to join the team and build on this foundation as the company expands into new markets across Europe.”
The July’s concept responds to evolving travel and living patterns, offering flexible accommodation for both short visits and longer stays, supported by wellness and coworking areas, food and beverage offerings, and locally rooted experiences.
Until Van Beek’s arrival in May, Francoise will continue to serve as Interim Executive Director to ensure continuity across the business.
About The July
The July is a European lifestyle apartment-hotel brand designed for modern travelers and urban residents seeking flexibility, comfort, and connection. Combining the space and functionality of serviced apartments with the services and atmosphere of a hotel, The July creates welcoming environments for short stays, extended stays, and everything in between. The brand operates in key European cities with further expansion underway.
About Aware Super
Aware Super is one of Australia’s top-performing and largest profit-for member pension funds managing A$ 210 billion AUM to deliver the strongest risk-adjusted returns for our 1.2 million members. As one of the top 50 institutional investors globally, we typically take an active management approach across alternative assets, including infrastructure, real estate and private equity, and additionally allocate to liquid markets. Returns for our A$10 billion property portfolio are driven by a globally-diversified program which focuses on living, industrial, office upgrades, self-storage, life sciences and cold storage.
Media Contact:
Clemens Sassen
clemens@hscomms.nl
