Setting itself up for the "next phase of growth," Gumtree Australia has appointed Roisin Parkes as its new CTO.
If there’s one thing Gumtree knows about, it’s growing sales and growing interest in the buying and selling process.
The company is a fixture of the online Australian marketplace, and that of many other countries worldwide, and does so successfully.
The company does so despite the competition it faces from that other giant marketplace, eBay, which happens to be Gumtree’s owner, resulting in a doubly whammy of commerce for one of the Internet’s commerce pioneers.
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However, you can’t afford to be complacent in the modern world, so the company that bills itself as “Australia’s vibrant community marketplace and #1 Shopping app” has announced its next move: the appointment of Roisin Parkes as Chief Technology Officer.
We are told that Parkes will “lead Gumtree’s technology strategy and operations and play a leading role for Gumtree Australia by driving decisions for the broader business.”
We're also informed that "Parkes is the first female CTO of Gumtree," and that she "joins one of the most diverse leadership teams in Australian technology - with women representing 50% of General Manager Martin Herbst’s six-strong leadership team.”
Naturally, Gumtree makes a short bio of Parkes available, stating that “with nearly 20 years’ experience developing and managing software products and technical teams across the world, Roisin Parkes will utilise her experience and expertise to lead a team in building and deploying scalable technology and product solutions for Gumtree’s core experience and new business models.”
Martin Herbst, who is Gumtree Australia’s GM, and whose name is also delightfully plant related, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing in one of Australia’s leading talents to help drive enhancements in Gumtree’s customer experience.
“We welcome Roisin to the leadership team and are excited to have her significant experience on board to help lead our ambitious strategy. Roisin absolutely fits the bill of a CTO who can expertly drive technology forward in an iconic business like Gumtree.”
Gumtree continues its rosy look at Roisin’s future, noting that: “With significant experience in both the Australian and European markets, Roisin will lead a growing local team in executing strategies to drive platform stability, team scalability and world-class architecture in alignment with the over-arching business strategy.”
Parkes herself said: “I’ve admired the work Gumtree does, and the overarching goal of growing a community marketplace where all Australians can prosper, for a long time. I’ve already witnessed the fast-paced, innovative workplace culture, and am thrilled to be joining the company at such an exciting time in its growth trajectory.”
We’re told that Parkes’ passion for tech “also sees her setting up her local school’s coding club, helping inspire and engage the next generation of Chief Technology Officers.”
Clearly, Roisin raises expectations for a great Gumtree rise in revenue, so we certainly hope Roisin rings it in!
A photo of Roisin Parkes is below.
