iProperty.com beefs up Senior Management Team
The iProperty.com Group (www.iproperty.com), Asia’s leading network of property portals owned by IPGA Limited (ASX: IPP) (www.ipgalimited.com), has announced the addition of two key management team members – Denise Chu from Monster.com.hk and Matt Allanson from REA Group (Realestate.com.au).
Denise Chu, former Sales Director at Monster.com.hk, has been appointed as General Manager of its Hong Kong operations – the GoHome.com.hk network (www.gohome.com.hk). Meanwhile, Matt Allanson, former National Manager of Major Accounts (Commercial) at the REA Group, joins the group as Regional Head of Business Development and will be working with each country manager and all sales teams to drive up sales revenues across the group.
Prior to joining iProperty.com, Denise headed the sales team at Monster.com.hk. During her tenure there, she was responsible for developing and leading a team to grow its online sales footprint in new and existing markets. She was also in charge of expanding the business across the Greater China Region as well as driving regional and global deals for the company. Some of her notable achievements at Monster.com.hk include achieving the title of ‘Top Performer in year 2007’ and successfully developing a new sector in 2006 which generated strong revenue growth for the Hong Kong business. Denise holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting and Finance from the University of Hong Kong and a Master’s Degree in Communication and New Media from the City University of Hong Kong.
As the National Manager of Major Accounts at REA Group, Matt worked specifically on its commercial property portal helping to build it into a dominant and profitable market leader. Some of his key achievements during his tenure there include working across the merger and business migration of www.propertylook.com.au; controlling strategic and exclusive partnership agreements with CB Richard Ellis, Colliers, Knight Frank, Jones Lang LaSalle and Savills; online brand development. With more than 10 years of experience in new media under his belt, Matt Allanson has a deep history in growing internet based retail, wholesale and property businesses, has been a fulltime representative level Sportsman and is currently studying an MBA at Deakin University. The REA Group is the operator of Australia’s biggest residential and commercial real estate websites, and own online real estate properties across the world.
Patrick Grove, Executive Chairman of the iProperty.com Group said, “Both Denise and Matt are star players in their fields, with stellar track records and a wealth of very relevant experience. I am confident that the addition of these two veterans to the team will be instrumental to bringing the Group to the next level, helping us achieve our aggressive growth targets and further consolidating our position as Asia’s dominant No. 1 online property group. We are very excited to have Denise and Matt on board and warmly welcome them to the iProperty.com family”.
Both Denise and Matt will be reporting directly to the group’s Chief Executive Officer, Ken Tsurumaru.
The iProperty.com Group is Asia’s No. 1 online property group, with leading property websites in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and the Philippines. Its network of websites attracts over one million unique visitors every month. It is part of Australian Securities Exchange-listed IPGA Limited (www.ipgalimited.com), (ASX: IPP). In 2009, the iProperty.com Group made history by winning the highly prestigious CNBC Arabiya Asia Pacific Property Awards in the “Best Property Portal” category for six of its websites – Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Philippines and iLuxuryasia.com.
iProperty.com Malaysia Uses Google Maps Technology
iProperty.com Malaysia (www.iproperty.com.my), Malaysia’s No. 1 property website with the largest online database of properties for sale and rent in the country, and part of Asia’s group of leading property portals iProperty.com Group owned by IPGA Limited (ASX: IPP), announced today that it has implemented the Google Maps API technology on its award-winning website to provide a significant boost to the experience of property hunters who visit the portal.
iProperty Clinches “Best Property Portal” Award for Six of its Websites
The iProperty.com Group (www.iproperty.com), Asia’s No. 1 network of online property portals owned by IPGA Limited (ASX: IPP), has emerged victorious again at this year’s CNBC Arabiya Asia Pacific Property Awards, garnering the award for “Best Property Portal” for its portals in Singapore (www.iproperty.com.sg), Malaysia (www.iproperty.com.my), Hong Kong (www.gohome.com.hk), India (www.india.iproperty.com), the Philippines (www.iproperty.com.ph) and regional luxury property portal iLuxuryasia.com (www.iLuxuryasia.com). This is a historical achievement as iProperty.com is the first company to have ever won the award across five markets for the same category at the Asia Pacific Property Awards.
The event is part of the International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious competition for the property sector. It began in 1995 in London, and has since established itself as the premier annual programme that distinguishes Asia Pacific companies with the highest levels of achievement in a range of property-related fields in 21 categories. Winners are usually identified as companies and individuals who are raising the standards by providing excellent skills and services and continually reaching new heights in quality and innovation.
Later this year, top scoring winners from the Asia Pacific Property Awards will compete against other winning companies from Europe, the UK, the Americas and Arabia to find the ultimate World’s Best in each category. Last year, the Asia Pacific region scooped no less than five World’s Best awards – an amazing feat and one which the property industry will be watching with interest to see if it can be matched or even beaten in 2009.
Entries were judged by a panel of professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is second to none and unsurpassed by any other property awards. Chaired by Eric Pickles, Chairman of the Conservative Party, this year’s judges included Ben Wood, Industry Head Property Markets of Google UK; Peter Bolton King, Group Chief Executive of the National Federation of Property Professionals; Imtiaz Farookhi, Chief Executive of the National House Building Council; Christopher Hall, President Elect of FIABCI; Wilhelm Harnish, Master Builders of Australia (MBA); Thijis Stoffer, International Consortium of Real Estate Agents Association (ICREA); Helen Shield, Editor-in-Chief of International Homes magazine and Gillian Farr, Head of Design of Laura Ashley Home.
Executive Chairman of IPGA Limited Patrick Grove said: “We are extremely thrilled, honoured and proud to have been awarded these recognitions by such a prestigious body. It is truly a great achievement for the iProperty.com network as a whole, especially after having won Best Property Portal award for four portals across four countries last year. We have certainly outdone ourselves by taking home the same awards for six portals across five countries this year!”
“The fact that we have won the Best Property Portal award in almost every single market we operate in is clear testimony that the iProperty.com network can not only compete and triumph but also maintain the leading position within the highly competitive Asia Pacific online property arena. Our latest achievement definitely reinforces our position in the region as Asia’s leading online property group, with all our portals already leading the market in their respective countries,” said Grove, who attributes the group’s success to the hard work and dedication of the entire iProperty.com Team who continuously strive to improve its network of websites by creating innovative products and services.
The Awards will be presented at a gala dinner to be held at the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore on 16 July 2009.
Classified Ad Ventures Takes Equity Stake in IPGA Ltd
Classified Ad Ventures, through its investment vehicle CAV Investment Holdings Pty Ltd, announced today that it has subscribed to a placement of 5,000,000 shares in IPGA Ltd (ASX:IPP). This represents just over 4% of the enlarged capital of IPGA, owner of Asia’s No. 1 network of property websites. The placement, at a price of $0.10 per share, represents the first direct investment received by IPGA since its listing on the ASX in September 2007 and is a strong endorsement of the potential of IPGA’s network of market leading property portals in Asia.
