My CEO Life

There has been a bit of press since the announcement of my departure from the REA Group.  While many of the article were essentially reprints of the press release, a couple of online publications have gone a step further.  I tought i would share them with you.

The first is from Global Edge based out of the UK …

http://www.globaledge.co.uk/news/details/global-property-chief-sacked/22821?code=700 

The second is from SmartCompany.com.au in Australia

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/Free-Articles/The-Briefing/20080805-Realestatecomau-sacks-chief-executive-Simon-Baker-.html

Finally, an article from Business 2 in Australia (always good for a read)

http://www.business2.com.au/2008/08/04/job-vacancy-realestatecomau-ceo/

For the last couple of years i have been writing this blog with a degree of anonymity.  I did this so i could comment freely on the things that were happening around me.  However i realise that this doesnt really matter any more and therefore it is time to expose myself … i am Simon Baker, the CEO and Managing Director of realestate.com.au Ltd (also known as the REA Group).

We are a listed company in Australia and we run 22 real estate website around the world.

You can find out more about the REA Group at www.rea-group.com

I joined the REA Group in 2001 and since them have driven the growth of the Group from a small Australian operation to a global player.  Over that time we have increased revenues from $4m to $150m+ p.a., gone from loss making to profitability and increased market cap from $8m to >$500m.

So that is me.

Here is another question - i must be on a roll

What specific turning points (sudden or gradual) moved you significantly forward along your path moving up the corporate ladder towards becoming a CEO? Secondly, what was the first thing you did coming out of college or grad school that got you set on a path of success/progression? Or, were there initial obstacles that you had to deal with?

So the first question … first!!  The biggest turning point was taking a risk.  I saw an opportunity to run a company and i made a sales pitch to the board, had the incumbent sacked and took over running the business.  I made my own luck.  If i had not taken the risk and made a pitch to the board - the safety net would not have appeared and i would not be typing today.

As for the second question - the first thing i did after college was going into sales with IBM. This was a great start as i learned to sell - computers, myself, everything.  From this i was able to understand what makes a sales person tick — no sales, no revenues - therefore this is probably the most critical skill i learned.

I also did an MBA and went to work for McKinsey and co for 4.5 years … this is much better than an MBA.  Management consulting (for a short period of time) is a great lesson.  Too long and you just become so detached from the real world!!!

There you go … some more about me.

OK … i am going to tell you a little about the company so that you have some context.

We have been in business for around 10 years and operate in the internet space. We provide a range of services to our target industry including web design and hosting.
The good news is that we are profitable and growing fast.

We have over 300 employees across a number of countries. However business has not always been going well. A few years back we were almost a victim of the dot com bust and nearly went out of business.

Luckily we had a large company invest in us at the right moment and we have been able to turn the business around and are now very strong in the markets we serve.
We are listed and have a board made up of shareholders representative and customer industry representatives. We have strong growth aspirations and over the last few years have expanded operations into other countries and will continue to do so as long as the model holds up.

Well that is enough for now … more later.

Welcome to the My CEO Life.

Have you always wondered what it is like at the top but never really known for sure? Have you always walked around the office a little afraid of the boss? Have you always wondered why the CEO gets paid a big salary and what they do for it?

Well i thought it would be fun to share the ups and downs of being a CEO. How can i do this? Well i am the CEO of a publicly listed company and have been for 5 years. I have experienced the ups and downs of the CEO life and i thought i would share some of these with you.

So why don’t you tell us who you are?

Well that just wouldn’t be fun would it! From a position of anonymity, I can be candid and open about my dealings with shareholders, analysts, the media, suppliers, customers, the Board, and the employees.

So what will the blog covers?

Well that is an easy one. Everything. The blog will not only have experiences and stories but also will look at some of the lessons i have learned and how they have been put into practice.

I am keen to not only talk about the business but the impact is has on my personal life. Now there is a reason to be anonymous.

I hope this will be more than a rant and rave but will also cover some of the key lessons i have learned in running a listed company.

So … on with the blog.

I hope you enjoy and contribute.