)
A former eBay Australia country manager has been appointed CEO of property management system provider NewBook, as part of an ambitious growth strategy after the company received a majority investment from tech-focused Potentia Capital in April.
Having previously worked at the e-commerce giant and as managing director at Carsguide, Shaun Cornelius now steps into the new role at a Gold Coast-based company whose software is used by 1,600 accommodation providers worldwide, with major deals in the USA over the past 18 months.
Cornelius succeeds NewBook founder and Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards Trailblazer Brad Illich, and more recently interim CEO Cheyne Tan, operating partner at Potentia.
"I am excited to be joining NewBook as we embark on the next chapter of growth. NewBook is a real success story with a passionate team and impressive customers who love the NewBook product," says Cornelius, who started his career in South Africa with Deloitte, was the founder of personal insurance aggregator Choosi, and led OurDeal.com.au which is now part of Groupon.
"Holiday parks have such an important role to play for everyday people and I am looking forward to partnering with them.
"With the backing of Potentia the business has significant growth potential in Australia and overseas."
Both Illich and Tan remain with the NewBook family, with Illich continuing his role as founder and president while Tan continues as a board member and director alongside Michael McNamara and NewBook chairman Tim Reed.
"After conducting an extensive global search, we're thrilled to welcome Shaun as the CEO of NewBook. Shaun's experience in leading some of Australia's best known digital brands and building world-class products that customers love will continue NewBook's focus on customer-driven innovation," Tan says.
)
