After the recent departure of Nigel O’Neil from the role of group CEO, previous CEO for 18 years Mike McCarthy has stepped back in to assist with the transition.

“Lisa is the perfect person to join us at this moment. Her wealth of industry knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our Group. Most importantly her values, collaborative approach and ability to bring people together is a perfect fit for our culture and 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,” McCarthy said.

“Doug’s new role 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.”

Ms. Pennell has a deep experience in real estate franchising, having worked with the Ray White Family for almost two decades in a variety of capacities and most recently having held the position of Chief Operations Officer for Harcourts Australia.

Ms. Pennell said she was looking forward to the opportunity to work more closely with Mr. McCarthy, who has been a key member of the industry initiatives Pennell has coordinated in recent years, including the negative gearing lobbying group during the 2016 Federal election and the 2019 “Beyond the Bricks” industry collective that successfully raised $1.25m to aid those affected by the devastating bushfires.

“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. The economic landscape is obviously challenging for many industries currently and there’s no doubt the property sector will face its own challenges in the coming time,” Pennell said.

“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.”

“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.”