The PEXA Group has appointed Russell Cohen (pictured above left) as its new group managing director and CEO, effective March 31.
Cohen, a seasoned executive with experience in the Asia-Pacific technology sector, will succeed current CEO Glenn King (pictured above right).
Cohen brings extensive expertise from his current role as group managing director of operations at Grab, a multinational technology firm. At Grab, Cohen spearheaded business operations, market expansion, and platform safety across seven countries, overseeing 3,000 employees. His contributions were instrumental in Grab’s strategic growth and regional leadership.
Prior to Grab, Cohen held senior roles at SoftBank C&S and Brightstar Corp. At SoftBank, he served as board director and vice president of business development, following SoftBank’s acquisition of Brightstar. Cohen also led Brightstar’s Asia operations and established its Greater China division in Hong Kong.
PEXA Group chair Mark Joiner said that Cohen’s appointment was the result of a comprehensive external search.
“Russell is a dynamic leader with proven expertise in scaling platform businesses and achieving strong commercial transformation across multiple countries,” Joiner said. “We sought a leader with strategic vision, innovation, regulatory acumen, and a strong focus on people and customers. Russell stood out in all these areas.”
Current CEO Glenn King will step down on Feb. 28, after delivering the half-year results for December. CFO Scott Butterworth will serve as acting group MD and CEO for one month during the leadership transition period. King will continue supporting the transition in an advisory role until June.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Cohen shared his excitement about PEXA’s future.
“PEXA has significant opportunities to leverage its platform and digital solutions to create sustainable value for shareholders, customers, employees, and stakeholders,” he said.
“I’m pleased to return to my hometown of Melbourne and work alongside the team in Australia and the UK. The foundation built under Glenn’s leadership is strong, and I’m eager to build on it.”
Joiner thanked King for his leadership since 2019.
“Glenn has been instrumental in growing our Exchange business, now covering 90% of Australia’s property market,” he said.
“He successfully guided PEXA through its ASX listing in 2021 and expanded our growth ventures into the UK with key acquisitions. We extend our heartfelt gratitude and wish him success in his next chapter.”
Read PEXA’s full ASX announcement here. The news is also published on the PEXA website.
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