SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Tom Ray, Chief Executive
Tom manages the day to day operation of the company and its associated entities. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for the financing and marketing of the company’s products and overseeing all aspects of project development, project and asset management, and sales.
Prior to assuming his role as head of the company in 2005, Tom worked in the marketing and communication sectors for several high profile organisations.
As a graduate Tom began his career with renowned advertising agency Singleton, Ogilvy and Mather Sydney where he went on to become an Account Director. He moved on to Macquarie Bank Limited in Sydney as Business Development Manager and Assistant to the Executive Director of the Macquarie Banking & Property Group in 1999.
Moving to London in 2001, Tom took up a position in the communications industry as founding Managing Director of 0800 Reverse Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian listed telco Reverse Corp Limited, an organisation providing domestic and international reverse charge calling and voice messaging.
Tom returned to Australia in 2004 and joined his father Brian at Ray Group. Following Brian and Kathy Ray's untimely passing in July 2005, Tom took responsibility for the group.
Tom is a long time Gold Coast resident. He attended The Southport School and later Bond University where he obtained his Bachelor of Communications (Business) Degree in Marketing & Communication.
He has established a strong business network along the eastern seaboard, and maintains a presence in the Gold Coast community as a Councillor of Bond University Limited.
Keryn Barfoot, Chief Financial Officer
Keryn is Ray Group’s Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for taxation and financial planning as well as preparation of financial reports to the Chief Executive and Advisory Board. She also handles the management, coordination and monitoring of all secretarial, budgeting and human resource requirements of the development management, asset management and project marketing divisions of the company and its associated entities.
Keryn has a Bachelor of Economics degree with a major in Accountancy from Monash University. Throughout her career, Keryn has been awarded many accolades including 1999 Queensland Management Accountant of the Year and the Special Commendation National Award in 2000, both awarded by CPA Australia.
In June 1989, Keryn joined PRDnationwide in the new position of Management Accountant, performing the due diligence on the acquisition of 120 franchised offices operating in New South Wales and Tasmania. She was also responsible for the installation of a range of computer systems, producing custom designed and written programs to provide an accounting framework for the PRD corporate operation. Keryn was promoted to the position of Financial Controller in 1993, attending to all statutory, taxation, secretarial and administrative functions, as well as providing business support services to the various operational units and the Board of Management.
Keryn joined Ray Group in 2006 following her 15 years with PRD.
Bruce Williams, Project Manager and Project Accountant
Bruce has extensive experience in project management gained from working with numerous leading businesses in London, Europe and Australia.
Bruce commenced his current position as Ray Group’s project manager and accountant in 2004. Bruce has undertaken comprehensive financial control and reporting for the $1 billion Salt Village project at Kingscliff and the $60 million Koala Beach development at Pottsville in Northern New South Wales. He also assumed the role of project manager of both developments, overseeing all ongoing site development works, as well as preparation of project feasibility documentation.
Bruce has established complementary structured systems to ensure financial and organisational control of the projects under his supervision. The structure systems assist with development and marketing, management accounting, corporate governance, tax and financial accounting, and the ongoing assessment and analysis of project costings to allow comparison with historical budgets.
Bruce was previously a financial accountant for Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd, taking responsibility for full financial reporting on five group companies and thereafter for their subsequent restructure and sale. Bruce’s skills and knowledge greatly assisted the company’s evaluation and consequent implementation of several successful property development opportunities.
Jackie Dorahy – Head of Marketing and Events
Jackie is head of marketing and events, and is responsible for overseeing Ray Group’s corporate and development-specific communication and marketing strategies.
Her role includes project and retail marketing, community liaison, event coordination and management of external communication teams including advertising and public relations.
For Ray Group’s current feature project, Salt Village, Jackie manages the production of a regular magazine and newsletter, and directs marketing for Salt Village Real Estate, the beachfront Saltbar Beachbar and Bistro and numerous community functions.
Before joining the Ray Group team in early 2005, Jackie was communication coordinator for an international funds manager, overseeing corporate branding and customer relations. Prior to this Jackie’s experience was focused in the international education industry, following a role within the University of Newcastle International Student Office she relocated to Denver, Colorado working for US-based foreign study agency AustraLearn from 1998-2000. Returning to Australia in 2000 Jackie took on the role as the first Australian-based director for AustraLearn.
Jackie has a Masters in Corporate Communication from Bond University and a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in marketing, recreation and tourism from The University of Newcastle.
Jack Ray – Head of Commercial and Retail
Jack’s experience encompasses development management, residential sales and commercial leasing, having worked across some of Australia’s most successful masterplanned communities, including Salt Village, Mount Hotham, Casuarina Beach and Hope Island Resort.
Jack began his career with the Ray Group as a sales consultant at DP Village Mount Hotham in 2005 before overseeing the sell-out of Salt Village’s Southbeach precinct as Salt Village Real Estate Director of Sales 2006-2008.
In 2008 Jack took a position as Development Manager for the publicly listed Consolidated Properties Group, which included management and leasing of Consolidated’s Coles and Woolworths anchored shopping centres.
In early 2009 Jack re-joined the Ray Group as Head of Commercial and Retail to spearhead Salt Village’s final retail tenancy release. The role involves securing tenants to ensure a complementary retail mix and coordinating the fit out construction work of our current Salt Retail tenancies refurbishment.
Jack has a Bachelor of Business Law degree from Bond University .
Greg Allan, Director - Ray Group Real Estate
Greg Allan is the director of Ray Group Real Estate and the principal and licensee of its operating business, Salt Village Real Estate.
He is responsible for managing Salt Village Real Estate’s team of dedicated and enthusiastic staff, and oversees the listing, marketing, sales and management of Salt Village properties.
Greg has extensive knowledge of the southern Gold Coast and Tweed property markets, following 20 years working in executive sales positions for PRDnationwide in the region and having lived on the Southern Gold Coast and Tweed for 50 years.
During his time with PRDnationwide, Greg was residential sales director of PRDnationwide’s Surfers Paradise corporate office, managing a team of 25 sales and administrative staff.
He previously owned PRD Realty’s Tugun/Currumbin office, and during the late 1980s and early 1990s managed PRD Realty’s Palm Beach agency, winning numerous awards including Gold Coast franchise office of the year .
Greg’s experience in property brokerage and management is an asset to Salt Village, which is one of the Tweed’s most renowned and successful coastal developments.
Matthew Newberry, Chief Operations Officer
Matt Newberry is Head of Operations for the Ray Group Asset Management Group.
Matt is responsible for managing the group commercial assets for the Ray Groups $1b Salt Village development and the overseeing of future development, acquisition and growth of hospitality and retail precincts.
Matt joins the Ray Group after 7 years with Coles/Wesfarmers Group where he was responsible for the business growth of their national hotel portfolio comprising 97 venues and over 300 related retail liquor stores through acquisition, operations management, strategy and marketing of the hotels business.
Prior to this Matt was involved in managing a large variety of some of Australia’s best known hospitality businesses including Ayers Rock Resort, Conrad Jupiters Hotel and Casino and other luxury clubs and resorts.
Matt is well known to the Gold Coast and Brisbane business community, is a well respected industry leader and brings to the Ray Group a wealth of experience that will be instrumental in developing and growing our hospitality and retail assets in the future.
Matt holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA Honours) from the University of New England