hipages bolsters C-Suite with two new appointments
Announcement posted by hipages 13 Nov 2018
● Appoints first CFOO and CPTO to fuel company’s continued growth
● Melissa Fahey appointed Chief Finance Operations Officer
● Herry Wiputra appointed Chief Product & Technology Officer
Sydney, 13 November 2018. hipages, Australia’s leading on-demand tradie platform, today announces the appointment of two new executives to its senior leadership team, bolstering its senior leadership team as the business accelerates its expansion.
Melissa Fahey has commenced as Chief Finance Operations Officer (CFOO) and Herry Wiputra has been appointed as Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO). The two executives are business heavyweights in their respective fields, with remarkable career accomplishments to-date, and the skills and experience required to support hipages as it continues its growth mandate.
These appointments follow new EY Sweeney research* that identified the emergence of The On-Demand Tradie Economy in Australia, highlighting that consumers and tradespeople are seeking smarter, faster, more seamless ways to engage through digital means. The rise of this new economy sees hipages continuing to play a central and important role in the residential trade sector, with Australian households spending over $73 billion** each year on trades.
In line with strengthening its C-Suite, hipages also confirms that Co-Founder Roby Sharon-Zipser, has transitioned from Chief Operating Officer (COO) to the role of Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO), alongside fellow Co-Founder David Vitek. David and Roby will together lead the business’s strategy, pursuing growth opportunities and managing key partner relationships.
Roby Sharon-Zipser, Co-CEO & Founder, hipages, said: “We know 70 million paid residential jobs** were completed in the past year by Australian tradies. hipages has been growing strongly but it’s clear there is much more to be done in order to fully grasp the significant market opportunity that presents itself.
“We are thrilled to welcome Melissa and Herry to the hipages team. Both newly created roles are instrumental in helping us achieve our mission towards making home improvement effortlessly efficient for all Australian consumers and tradies. We’re proud to have on board a robust senior leadership team, coupled also with Jodette Cleary, Chief People & Innovation Officer and Stuart Tucker, Chief Customer Officer, allowing David and I to focus on continuing the business’s terrific momentum.”
Melissa Fahey is a senior executive with extensive experience across several industries including private equity, digital, technology, e-Commerce, media and advertising, for the past 17 years. For the past five years, Melissa has been Group CFO at Lux Group, one of Australia's largest e-commerce businesses.
Melissa Fahey said: “I am delighted to be joining hipages. The business has achieved exceptional growth and continues to innovate and invest in the customer experience, culture and staff. I have a passion for working with high growth technology businesses and was really impressed with hipages’ focus on its mission and investment in its leadership team. The home improvement sector is an exciting one with strong fundamentals. I am looking forward to working with the leadership team to drive the business forward to achieve its full potential."
With 18 years experience in software engineering and IT development management, Herry Wiputra has worked for a number of Australia’s leading and most successful companies. Most recently, Herry held the position of CIO at Campaign Monitor, where he was responsible for engineering and product development in Sydney and global management of its technology operations. Herry has also held roles at REA Group and Aconex.
Herry Wiputra said: “I am proud to be joining hipages as its first Chief Technology and Product Officer. It is a rare opportunity to be able to own the end-to-end product development process, from concept to putting value in the customer’s hand. David Vitek and Roby Sharon-Zipser are both passionate entrepreneurs and visionary leaders, and I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting time for the business as The On-Demand Tradie Economy continues to grow.”
hipages partnered with boutique specialist search firms to source the new executive talent, working with Kevin Griffiths from The MitchelLake Group and Neil Galvin from the Galvin Group.
Over 135,000 verified, licensed and qualified tradies are listed nationally on the hipages network. With over $2 billion worth of jobs processed annually, hipages is leading the digitisation of the residential trade sector.
Notes to Editors
*About the EY Sweeney Research
EY Sweeney assisted in a joint project with hipages to conduct trade and consumer research to provide an overview of the residential trade industry and the breadth of opportunities associated with the adoption of technology in this sector. A total of 518 consumers and 500 tradies were surveyed in June and July 2018. The research captures insights into the digitalisation of the tradie industry as a powerful creator of opportunities for both consumers and tradespeople. It highlights the current pain points on both sides and reveals the enormous potential for industry growth as both tradies and consumers embrace the benefits offered by an optimised on-demand tradie economy. The report that accompanies this press release, as well as this press release itself and all of its content, are the responsibility of the management of hipages.
**LEK Research
Hipages also commissioned LEK Consulting to research the size and shape of the residential trade economy and the value of the associated trade marketing vertical. LEK surveyed 395 tradespeople and 1004 consumers in Australia, as well as making use of third-party data and statistics, such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and hipages internal data.
These findings are denoted with an asterisk throughout the report. The research was designed to gather information relating to the population of tradies and trade businesses by segment, the quantity and value of residential jobs completed in a year and the proportion of those jobs that are contestable. Household behaviours around how people go about sourcing suppliers, how tradies market their businesses, how these behaviours are evolving, and how the trade economy is likely to grow, were also researched and analysed as part of this report.
For more information, please contact:
DEC PR
hipages
Melissa Fahey has commenced as Chief Finance Operations Officer (CFOO) and Herry Wiputra has been appointed as Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO). The two executives are business heavyweights in their respective fields, with remarkable career accomplishments to-date, and the skills and experience required to support hipages as it continues its growth mandate.
These appointments follow new EY Sweeney research* that identified the emergence of The On-Demand Tradie Economy in Australia, highlighting that consumers and tradespeople are seeking smarter, faster, more seamless ways to engage through digital means. The rise of this new economy sees hipages continuing to play a central and important role in the residential trade sector, with Australian households spending over $73 billion** each year on trades.
In line with strengthening its C-Suite, hipages also confirms that Co-Founder Roby Sharon-Zipser, has transitioned from Chief Operating Officer (COO) to the role of Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO), alongside fellow Co-Founder David Vitek. David and Roby will together lead the business’s strategy, pursuing growth opportunities and managing key partner relationships.
Roby Sharon-Zipser, Co-CEO & Founder, hipages, said: “We know 70 million paid residential jobs** were completed in the past year by Australian tradies. hipages has been growing strongly but it’s clear there is much more to be done in order to fully grasp the significant market opportunity that presents itself.
“We are thrilled to welcome Melissa and Herry to the hipages team. Both newly created roles are instrumental in helping us achieve our mission towards making home improvement effortlessly efficient for all Australian consumers and tradies. We’re proud to have on board a robust senior leadership team, coupled also with Jodette Cleary, Chief People & Innovation Officer and Stuart Tucker, Chief Customer Officer, allowing David and I to focus on continuing the business’s terrific momentum.”
Melissa Fahey is a senior executive with extensive experience across several industries including private equity, digital, technology, e-Commerce, media and advertising, for the past 17 years. For the past five years, Melissa has been Group CFO at Lux Group, one of Australia's largest e-commerce businesses.
Melissa Fahey said: “I am delighted to be joining hipages. The business has achieved exceptional growth and continues to innovate and invest in the customer experience, culture and staff. I have a passion for working with high growth technology businesses and was really impressed with hipages’ focus on its mission and investment in its leadership team. The home improvement sector is an exciting one with strong fundamentals. I am looking forward to working with the leadership team to drive the business forward to achieve its full potential."
With 18 years experience in software engineering and IT development management, Herry Wiputra has worked for a number of Australia’s leading and most successful companies. Most recently, Herry held the position of CIO at Campaign Monitor, where he was responsible for engineering and product development in Sydney and global management of its technology operations. Herry has also held roles at REA Group and Aconex.
Herry Wiputra said: “I am proud to be joining hipages as its first Chief Technology and Product Officer. It is a rare opportunity to be able to own the end-to-end product development process, from concept to putting value in the customer’s hand. David Vitek and Roby Sharon-Zipser are both passionate entrepreneurs and visionary leaders, and I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting time for the business as The On-Demand Tradie Economy continues to grow.”
hipages partnered with boutique specialist search firms to source the new executive talent, working with Kevin Griffiths from The MitchelLake Group and Neil Galvin from the Galvin Group.
Over 135,000 verified, licensed and qualified tradies are listed nationally on the hipages network. With over $2 billion worth of jobs processed annually, hipages is leading the digitisation of the residential trade sector.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors
*About the EY Sweeney Research
EY Sweeney assisted in a joint project with hipages to conduct trade and consumer research to provide an overview of the residential trade industry and the breadth of opportunities associated with the adoption of technology in this sector. A total of 518 consumers and 500 tradies were surveyed in June and July 2018. The research captures insights into the digitalisation of the tradie industry as a powerful creator of opportunities for both consumers and tradespeople. It highlights the current pain points on both sides and reveals the enormous potential for industry growth as both tradies and consumers embrace the benefits offered by an optimised on-demand tradie economy. The report that accompanies this press release, as well as this press release itself and all of its content, are the responsibility of the management of hipages.
**LEK Research
Hipages also commissioned LEK Consulting to research the size and shape of the residential trade economy and the value of the associated trade marketing vertical. LEK surveyed 395 tradespeople and 1004 consumers in Australia, as well as making use of third-party data and statistics, such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and hipages internal data.
These findings are denoted with an asterisk throughout the report. The research was designed to gather information relating to the population of tradies and trade businesses by segment, the quantity and value of residential jobs completed in a year and the proportion of those jobs that are contestable. Household behaviours around how people go about sourcing suppliers, how tradies market their businesses, how these behaviours are evolving, and how the trade economy is likely to grow, were also researched and analysed as part of this report.
About hipages
hipages provides a better, smarter way to connect tradies and consumers to get the job done well.
They are on a mission to make home improvement effortlessly efficient. Our aim is to create a seamless experience for tradies and homeowners in place of the current unreliable - and unproductive - process that makes it a feat of mutual endurance.
hipages builds technology that solves the frictions of an industry ready for optimisation, by redesigning the tradie/client relationship and transforming the way trade businesses operate. To date, over two million Australians have changed the way they find, hire and manage trusted tradies to get a job done around their home.
hipages. Change the way you tradie.
www.hipages.com.au
hipages provides a better, smarter way to connect tradies and consumers to get the job done well.
They are on a mission to make home improvement effortlessly efficient. Our aim is to create a seamless experience for tradies and homeowners in place of the current unreliable - and unproductive - process that makes it a feat of mutual endurance.
hipages builds technology that solves the frictions of an industry ready for optimisation, by redesigning the tradie/client relationship and transforming the way trade businesses operate. To date, over two million Australians have changed the way they find, hire and manage trusted tradies to get a job done around their home.
hipages. Change the way you tradie.
www.hipages.com.au
For more information, please contact:
DEC PR
- Luisa, Jennifer, Summer or Duyen
- hipages@decpr.com.au
- (02) 8014 5033
hipages
- Guillaume Papillon, PR & Communications manager
- guillaumepapillon@hipages.com.au