After 18 Years at the helm of The Barry Plant Group, Mike McCarthy is stepping aside from the role of CEO and will be handing the reins to Nigel O’Neil, current Head of Strategic Growth.
The official transfer of the role and its responsibilities is set to take place on July 1, 2021
Barry Plant’s current Operations Manager, Doug Hutchinson, will step into a newly created Chief Operating Officer (COO) role and Mr McCarthy will remain firmly engaged with the group as an Executive Director.
Mr O’Neil has been with Barry Plant for more than two years and has spent time learning about the group and its people.
More recently, he has been working with the executive team to help formulate a strategic plan for the group to 2030 and beyond. Nigel has significant experience at an executive level in real estate over the last 15 years and is excited about what the future holds.
“Barry Plant is a strong brand with a boutique culture,” Mr O’Neil said.
“The calibre of franchisee is remarkably high and the quality and depth of support that the head office team provides is really quite unique.
“I believe we were the only franchise real estate group to significantly cut our franchise fees across our whole group during the first lockdown and that is indicative of the true partnership that exists between the franchisor and franchisee.”
Mr Hutchinson has been part of the group for seven-and-a-half years and has focused on ensuring Barry Plant is well prepared to ride the technology wave.
As part of his current role, Mr Hutchinson has driven PropTech innovation throughout the group and played an integral part in delivering strategic enhancements implemented by key suppliers to the industry. In his new role, Mr Huthcinson will work closely with Mr O’Neil to drive and implement the strategic plan.
Mr McCarthy said it felt like a good time for a change of CEO.
“I’m not disappearing”, he explained. “I will still be fully involved in the group going forward but it’s the right time to step aside and allow Nigel and Doug to give the business a new level of energy.”
Mr McCarthy will be working on high level industry projects as well as offering his considerable expertise to franchisees along with continuing with his current role on the Board.
Founding shareholders and board members, Vic Care and Barry Plant said they were pleased Mr O’Neil and Mr McCarthy were moving into their leadership roles.
Mr Plant said the transition would be seamless.
“Nigel and Doug have both been embedded in our group for a lot of years,” he said.
“They understand our culture and our values and bring extraordinary experience to their new roles.”
Mr Care said he believed the timing was right for change, saying the group “needs to reposition itself to embrace future technology to meet the needs of the new breed of up-and-coming entrepreneurs”.
“Both Nigel and Doug played a vital role in guiding our response to the lockdowns due to COVID,” Mr Care said.
“They work well as a team and with Nigel’s real estate franchising experience and Doug’s expertise in technology, the group we will be in great hands and well placed to grow.”
