Barry Plant has created a new Chief of Staff role, with marketing leader Monika Doyle stepping into the position six months after returning from maternity leave.
Monika brings more than two decades of experience across marketing, product development and major multinational organisations to the role, which sits at Barry Plant’s head office in Doncaster East.
“The Chief of Staff role is really about keeping the business connected, making sure we’re all moving in the same direction, and driving ambitious performance-led goals as we work towards becoming the trusted brand in real estate,” Monika said.
“As we continue to scale, having that alignment and focus becomes increasingly important. I’m excited to be back and to play a part in helping Barry Plant navigate its next stage of growth.”
Monika’s path into real estate began unexpectedly in 2016 after she relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane and joined a large real estate franchise.
She later returned to Melbourne, launched and led a national marketing team within that same brand, then joined Barry Plant in 2023 as Head of Marketing.
The timing meant she inherited a major rebrand with only months to deliver it.
“I came in quite late in the piece and only had a couple of months to deliver a brand refresh, from start to finish. From delivering a new brand design concept to re-launching every marketing asset,” she said.
The rebrand covered approximately 70 offices and was followed by industry recognition including silver at the 2024 Melbourne Design Awards and silver at the 2025 WORLD Design Awards.
After two years in the role, Monika took maternity leave, always intending to return.
“I always knew I wanted to come back after maternity leave because I love it here. I love my job, and I love the team,” she said.
Rather than returning to her previous role, Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell created the new position to make use of Monika’s experience while giving her greater flexibility.
“Monika is an exceptional leader and an even more exceptional person. She brings a sharp eye for detail and an extraordinary work ethic,” Lisa said.
“The big question for me was how we could best reintegrate Monika into the team post-maternity leave in a way that would support her journey of motherhood, but also level up our business at the same time.
“The creation of the Chief of Staff role was an obvious answer.”
In the role, Monika is working on strategy, cross-department alignment and keeping the business connected as it scales.
“We’ve got high ambitions, and we are well on our way to reaching them, having built a really solid foundation over the past three years, but we’re at the stage now where we really need good control over workflows using the right frameworks and tech, keeping everyone aligned and connected as we scale,” Lisa said.