Melina Cruickshank resigns from REA Group after losing CEO race

Nathan Jolly

September 5, 2025 10:46

Melina Cruickshank

REA Group’s chief product and audience officer, Melina Cruickshank, has resigned from the company after missing out on the CEO role.

REA Group’s outgoing CEO Owen Wilson confirmed Cruickshank’s decision in an email sent to staff on Thursday.

“Melina has decided that now is the time to explore new opportunities outside REA Group and that she needs to take some time out from professional life in the coming months to spend some time with her family,” Wilson wrote.

Cruickshank wrapped her six-year stint with the company, which runs Australia’s biggest real estate listing portal realestate.com.au, on Monday.

She was one of the News Corp-controlled real estate group’s top internal candidates for the CEO role, after Wilson announced in February he would be retiring in late October. Wilson spent 11 years at REA Group, including six years in the top job.

After a wide search, the company appointed Cameron McIntyre as its new CEO in mid-August. McIntyre has been CEO and managing director of CAR Group, owner of the carsales.com.au marketplace, since 2016. He will begin at REA Group on November 3.

The company’s executive general manager Jonathan Swift will be caretaker CEO in the interim.

In a note to staff, Cruickshank thanked Wilson “for his vision, leadership, and humour”, adding :”And to the incredible people of Product & Audience it’s been a complete privilege.”

Prior to joining REA Group in 2019, Cruickshank was chief marketing officer at rivals Domain Group for four years. She also spent eight years at Fairfax Media, where she rose to group product director.

According to the AFR, Cruickshank told the REA board she was not prepared to relocate to Melbourne for the CEO role “given her broader family commitments”.