Former Zoopla commercial director Athena Hubble has been appointed as Boomin’s new managing director.
Hubble, who will be a member the main board at Boomin, has a strong track record working with digital businesses.
Having started her career at Yell and Thomson Directories, Hubble went on to join Zoopla as part of the original team in the role of commercial director where she spent 12 years before moving to Carwow to lead its growth strategy.
Hubble has spent the majority of her career at Zoopla, where she forged strong relationships with agents and gained an in-depth knowledge of the industry. She oversaw the rapid growth of the business, including a more than four-fold increase in agent numbers from 4,000 to 19,000 and a 300% increase in the size of the team.
More recently at Carwow, she helped design and implement a new pricing model, automating partner performance reporting and launching a digital back office, improving transparency and simplicity.
Hubble said: “Having been part of the early creation of the property portal industry, I am delighted to be joining Boomin who are writing the next chapter with a refreshing and genuine desire not only to deliver innovation and better experiences for agents and customers but to also reset the relationship so it is more collaborative and a win win for everyone.
“It is particularly exciting for me to be back working with agents and also to be part of such an experienced team where I can work closely with Michael, who passionately champions agents and consumers and who has an incredible track record in building powerful brands within the property industry.”
Recruiting Hubble is a major coup for Boomin, according the firm’s CEO and founder, Michael Bruce.
“She is well known and respected in the industry, having played a pivotal role in building long-term relationships with agents during her twelve year tenure.
“An innovator to the core, with a track record of success working with transformative businesses, Athena will lead the team and work closely with agents, be available and visible, listen, learn and engage with our key working groups to ensure Boomin leads industry change, continuously improves the user experience and unlocks new income streams for our agent partners.
“The strength, depth and quality of our leadership team, with recent hires including Stephen Murphy as chairman and Richard Pennycook as senior non-executive director and Sarah Edmundson as chair of our strategic board and now Athena, we are building a team who fit our DNA and have the experience to help us build a great business.
“Be in no doubt that we are serious about reinventing the property portal and resetting the balance of power in favour of agents.”
Hmm… but an MD still has to report to the CEO, which means that unless Michael has stepped aside, the MD won’t have autonomy – so I’m sure Athena may be great, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Michael is still the top-dog and ultimately makes all the decisions. Seems like this is just another PR move from Boomin’…
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“…. work closely with Michael, who passionately champions agents” Nearly wet myself reading that – take a look at some of his cake throwing, derisory tv ads of a year or so ago and you’ll see just how passionately Michael championed estate agents then Athena!!
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“Be in no doubt that we are serious about reinventing the property portal and resetting the balance of power in favour of agents.”
Give me a break. Nonsense. This is nothing more than a commercial venture. Bruce tried to destroy estate agents with its Commissary campaign and PB, so its a bit rich to now say in favour of agents who so far have complained that the portal is far from anything but useless to them. To think that they will replace the status quo, who will disappear, is even a bigger joke.
Without agents joining them, this portal is a non-starter and after repeated public requests failed to answer a very important question. and why they need agents participation ….
Agents participation is vital to grow this non-entity that arguably the public have no need of and have not abandoned the status quo that have been established for decades …..
WHAT GUARANTEE have agents received that once the agents have built the platform Boomin will not then turn the portal into a private sellers portal?
Agents should be considering this point, as past rhetoric has been anti-agents.
Who is in control of your future!
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“be in no doubt that we are serious about reinventing the property portal and resetting the balance of power in favour of agents” goes right along side, “the cheques in the post”
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Shouldn’t the balance of power be with customers, this shows how wide of the mark these guys are! Plus the sites terrible
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