Leading Australasian real estate group Raine & Horne has appointed Benjamin McDonald as its first-ever Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for Australasia, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to innovation and strategic growth.
Mr McDonald will lead the development and execution of Raine & Horne’s strategic direction as the brand accelerates its evolution in the competitive Australasian real estate market.
With more than a decade of strategic leadership experience across real estate, energy, urban development, and transport sectors in Australasia and North America, Mr McDonald brings significant expertise to the role.
Most recently, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Storz Power in the United States, where he secured major investment support that enabled the energy technology firm to restructure its development operations and invest in battery energy storage software.
Previously, Mr McDonald was the Chief Strategy Officer at Arealytics Australia, a leading commercial property data firm. During his tenure, he secured a strategic equity investment from a top 20 ASX-listed company and negotiated a mutual data-sharing agreement.
He also played a lead role in helping Arealytics gain approval from the Victorian Government as a licensed data broker, creating a complementary income stream to the core SaaS-based monthly recurring revenue model.
Earlier in his career, Mr McDonald held senior executive roles with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, including Head of Strategy and Insights for the Asia Pacific region and Corporate Affairs Manager for Australasia.
In his new role at Raine & Horne, Mr McDonald will oversee business innovation, cross-functional collaboration, and enterprise-wide transformation.
“Raine & Horne has an incredible 142-year legacy and an ambitious vision for the future,” Mr McDonald said.
“My focus will be on aligning strategic initiatives with that vision—whether that’s exploring new growth avenues, driving innovation across our network, or enhancing how we collaborate across departments and the delivery of value to our clients and principals.”
His responsibilities will include developing and overseeing the execution of Raine & Horne’s long-term strategic plan, leading key transformation initiatives, driving cross-functional collaboration, and managing key stakeholder relationships.
Raine & Horne CEO Chris Nicholl said he was excited about the appointment.
“Benjamin’s appointment marks a significant step in the ongoing transformation of our business in Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Nicholl said.
“Benjamin brings a wealth of strategic and operational experience in Australasia and North America, and we’re excited about the energy and ruthless dedication he’ll bring to this new role.”
“Benjamin’s appointment is part of our broader strategy to continue to grow the business and ensure we’re positioned to deliver exceptional results for our principals, agents, property managers and partners well into the future.”
