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Amid a top-level reshuffle, the network has revealed the appointment of Lisa Pennell to its executive team.
Barry Plant has revealed Ms Pennell will be taking on the chief operating officer (COO) role at the group, while current COO, Doug Hutchinson, moves into the role of chief financial and commercial officer.
Ms Pennell was most recently the chief operating officer at Harcourts Australia, a post she had taken up in May 2021, following almost two decades spent in various roles at Ray White.
The latest shuffle follows the recent departure of Nigel O’Neil from the role of group chief executive, with Mike McCarthy stepping back in to assist with the transition, according to a statement from Barry Plant.
According to Mr McCarthy: “Lisa is the perfect person to join us at this moment.”
Lauding her wealth of industry knowledge and experience as invaluable to the group, he added that “most importantly, her values, collaborative approach and ability to bring people together is a perfect fit for our culture”.
“I look forward to working with her in the coming years to deliver on our vision to be the most recommended brand in real estate,” Mr McCarthy said.
For Ms Pennell herself, a step into the Barry Plant Group position grants her the opportunity to work more closely with Mr McCarthy — with the pair having worked together on the negative gearing lobbying group during the 2016 federal election and the 2019 “Beyond the Bricks” industry collective that raised more than $1.2 million for bushfire aid.
She expressed: “Barry Plant has been the leading brand in the industry in Victoria for much of the past 25 years and is a well-respected brand amongst the community, comprising some enormously successful operators and agents.
“Along with Mike, key shareholders and founders Barry Plant and Vic Care all remain actively involved with the business and between them have many decades of combined experience,” she raised, noting that the current economic landscape “is obviously challenging for many industries currently”.
“With a number of recessions already under the team’s collective belt, the Barry Plant Group is well placed to weather any storms and ensure all of its franchisees have the tools and support they actually need to continue to not only survive but thrive in these headwinds — to capitalise on the opportunities that invariably come with every difficulty,” Ms Pennell raised.
From her perspective: “There’s a real opportunity for the real estate industry to really understand the lifetime value of a customer and improve its reputation, a critical step particularly given the most recent results from the Ethics Index released by the Governance Institute of Australia — negative feedback from consumers cannot and should not be ignored, as perception is reality.
“I have always said that clear values are important for any business to be sustainable in its growth — not just having them, but living them in every decision, every interaction.
“I can only say I am incredibly excited to delve into where the Barry Plant group is at and look forward to developing close relationships with its corporate team, business owners, teams and partners.”
Elsewhere, Mr Hutchinson’s new role — as chief financial and commercial officer — “will focus on the overall financial management and functions of the group, working on strategic and important commercial relationships and most importantly, continuing to work with our technology partners and emerging technology within the industry,” Mr McCarthy stated.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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