In the newly created role, Gerard will lead REA’s national sales team, working closely with customers across residential, commercial, new homes and media to help them achieve bigger, better results.
Gerard will be based in Melbourne and will report to Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Kul Singh.
Gerard brings more than 20 years of experience to REA, including 15 years in senior leadership roles across sales, marketing, customer experience and digital product at General Motors.
Most recently, Gerard was a leader of the consumer, retail and technology practice groups across Australia and New Zealand at Egon Zehnder.
He brings a track record of building strong relationships and partnering closely with business owners and corporate leadership to support their ongoing success.
REA prides itself on delivering customer value, and recent Property Panel research highlighted that navigating AI noise, and harnessing the power of AI to drive efficiencies, is on the priority list for customers.
The Property Panel gathers regular insight directly from customers to help inform product innovation, training, and support.
This insight reinforces REA’s focus on supporting customers to integrate AI into their businesses.
REA is accelerating its AI delivery, and alongside new customer and consumer product value, a range of AI-focused initiatives will be rolled out to customers in the coming months.
This includes on-demand training and education content, bookable sessions with AI and market experts, as well as a customer hackathon event and AI accelerator grants to help customers apply AI in a practical, business-relevant way.
Gerard said he was thrilled to be stepping into the role at a pivotal time for the industry.
“Technology is quickly broadening and accelerating what’s possible, and I’m excited to join a team that’s committed to working with customers to unlock new ways to make their businesses more efficient and profitable. My focus will be on helping our customers get bigger and better results now and into the future, supporting the long-term success of the industry,” Gerard said.
“As AI and data continue to transform how property is marketed, experienced and transacted, I’ll be listening to our customers and working with them to turn this change into tangible opportunities – whether that’s driving more effective campaigns, empowering teams with new tools to unlock more efficient workflows or helping them plan their next phase of growth. I look forward to meeting our customers over the coming months and I’m excited to be part of the next chapter.”
Commenting on Gerard’s appointment, REA Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Kul Singh, said: “Our priority is to remain the go-to partner our customers can rely on to drive the strongest results. Gerard’s deep expertise will be an important asset as we support the industry through its next wave of transformation. I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”
