Anywhere Real Estate yesterday announced a significant shakeup of its executives, adding a new chief technology officer with a background in fintech, as chief operating officer Melissa McSherry stepped down after less than two years with the real estate juggernaut.
Rudy Wolfs, who recently worked in leadership roles at Capital One and has an extensive history with startups, will report directly to Anywhere President Ryan Schneider, the company said.
“Rudy is an incredibly experienced technology leader who brings innovation and entrepreneurship to his work, whether he’s launching a new digital company or helping large-scale organizations drive digital transformation,” Schneider wrote in a statement. “He has a very successful track record of growing and attracting great technology talent, reimagining complex systems, and moving with speed to deliver strategic results. I am excited to work with Rudy as Anywhere continues to simplify the real estate transaction and drive growth.
“I am proud of our ability to continue to attract innovative leaders who are drawn to the massive opportunity Anywhere has to positively impact the home-buying and -selling experience for everyone,” continued Schneider. “I am also grateful for the tremendous contributions Melissa made during her time at Anywhere, and I appreciate her commitment to helping Rudy transition into his new role. I wish her great success as she moves to her next chapter.”
McSherry’s tenure with the company will end at the end of the month, Anywhere said, though she will stay on as a strategic advisor through the end of March. Wolfs will assume his role next week.
Anywhere emphasized Wolfs’ background in startups, calling him “an avid technology innovator,” highlighting his early experience as a founder right after school.
“Anywhere is leveraging its unmatched scale, deep data access and unique advantages to make the transaction experience easier for real estate entrepreneurs and small business owners, which given my background is an especially exciting opportunity,” said Wolfs in a statement. “The Anywhere product and technology team has made great progress, and I look forward to partnering with them, in collaboration with Anywhere business and brokerage leaders, to accelerate our digital transformation and deliver the future of real estate.”
Like Wolfs, McSherry joined Anywhere with a background in finance, having served as senior vice president at Visa (and before that, Capital One as well) before joining the real estate behemoth in 2022. Her relatively short tenure coincided with a turbulent time for both Anywhere and the real estate industry at large, as high rates doused the hot pandemic housing market and lawsuits dogged big franchisors and brokerages.
Anywhere became the first company to settle a handful of these lawsuits back in September 2022. The company also rebranded shortly after McSherry joined, taking the name Anywhere after previously doing business as Realogy.
The move comes ahead of the company reporting its Q1 and full-year 2023 earnings later this week.
For more information about Anywhere, visit https://anywhere.re/.
