Our Executive Leadership Team
We have an extraordinary array of talented team members working for LJ Hooker.
Our Executive Leadership Team boasts a diverse background having been part of a range of blue chip companies both external to the real estate industry and within, such as Colliers International, McGrath and Elders. Together, this experienced and focused group of individuals make a dynamic and unique team without parallel.
Graeme Hyde - Network Chief
Graeme is responsible for the overall growth and development of LJ Hooker’s residential sales business across its office network.
Graeme leads the LJ Hooker Institute team that designs and facilitates residential training courses to ensure continuous improvement of LJ Hooker salespeople, business owners, property managers and office administrators. LJ Hooker Institute curricula includes management and leadership courses, auction training, auctioneer schools, the staging of The LJ Hooker Auction Idol and Icon competitions and arranging for accreditation of auction marketers and auctioneers to ensure the very best standards of service to our customers.
Graeme joined the real estate industry in 1995 after 15 years in television and radio. He joined the LJ Hooker network in 2001 when he took over the LJ Hooker office in Port Macquarie. He was inducted into the Captains Club in his second year with the network and Multimillion Dollar Chapter in his third year. Within two years, he and his team grew the Port Macquarie office to one of the top 10 offices in the world and four years later opened a second office in Lake Cathie.
Graeme has been ranked within the top 5 salespeople in the world in the LJ Hooker network and been awarded bronze and gold medals for sales performance which has positioned him in the top 1% of all salespeople. In 2005, he was invited to join the LJ Hooker Admirals and later that year won the acclaimed Franchise Owner of the Year. He has also won LJ Hooker’s International Community Relationship Award and the International Award for Best Community Marketing. He is past Director on the Board of the Real Estate Institute of NSW.
Graeme’s passion is to grow people’s leadership skills so they can achieve success, and to continue to build the LJ Hooker brand.
Simon Heathcote - Chief Financial Officer
Simon joined the executive team as Group Finance Director in March 2019 and became the CFO in May 2019. He is responsible for the finance and compliance functions of the corporate, residential and commercial real estate lines of the group.
Prior to joining LJ Hooker, Simon was the CFO of a private commercial lender. He was Group financial Controller with Guardian Early Learning Group (childcare), and Financial Controller with Archer Capital, a private equity firm. Prior to this, Simon was an audit Senior Manager with Ernst & Young.
Simon brings a wealth of experience to LJ Hooker in all facets of financial management practice and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Governance Institute of Australia.
Ruth Trewhella - Chief Operating Manager
Ruth joined the executive team in January 2018 as Business Improvement Director and became COO in January 2019. She is responsible for the overarching operations of the core Franchise business including marketing, customer support, training and events and awards and recognition.
Prior to joining LJ Hooker, Ruth was Head of Customer Success at e-commerce brand RedBalloon. She was Group Manager of True Local (part of the Telstra group) and a number of other digital businesses within the Sensis group of companies.
Ruth is an innovative leader who brings a wealth of experience in transforming customer experience and business performance. She has extensive experience leading and developing high performing multi discipline teams, strategy execution, operational excellence, digital innovation and delivering complex programs of work.
Sarah Dickson - Head of Communications & PR
Sarah is our Head of Communications & PR, driving internal and external engagement for our iconic LJ Hooker brand.
Sarah holds more than 10 years of professional media and communications experience, most of which at the helm of PR strategy for Australia's largest public and private property groups.
As a result she holds strong, trusted relationships with property and business editors and journalists across national, state and local media. These relationships, combined with her intricate understanding of property trends and market dynamics, position LJ Hooker as the media’s preferred go-to for industry thought leadership and property profiling.
Sarah is also responsible for our internal communications to engage and inform our network of 8,000 real estate specialists.
Mathew Tiller - Head of Commercial | Head of Research
Mathew began his real estate career as a sales and leasing agent in Dubai. After his time in the UAE he moved back to Sydney where he joined the research team at a major commercial real estate firm.
In 2014, Mathew joined LJ Hooker to establish and build the LJ Hooker Research brand. In his role as Head of Research Mathew produces regular residential, office, industrial and retail property market reports. He also undertakes specific research consultancy assignments and present at client engagement events and company functions.
Mathew was then appointed to the role of Head of Commercial in 2017. In this role Mathew looks after the direction and strategy of LJ Hooker Commercial. The LJ Hooker Commercial network consists of 30 dedicated commercial real estate offices with more than 300 agents and property managers.
Stephen Mutton - State Director QLD, NT, VIC and TAS
Stephen Mutton started his career with success in real estate and he hasn’t taken his foot off the pedal since.
First starting as a 20yo a sales agent in Coffs Harbour, within 18 months he became his group’s number 1 Auction Lister/Seller and the third top salesperson in NSW.
With these, and many other accolades under his belt, his energetic and enthusiastic approach saw him tapped on the should to join the QLD Corporate team as their State Trainer.
This role saw his real estate career take off at turbo speed and within 12 months Steve and his wife opened the first of their six real estate offices on the Gold Coast.
From 1998 to 2011 Steve grew his team to over 130 salespeople and his business ranked in Top 5 internationally.
In 2017, Steve joined LJ Hooker to grow the brand in QLD and Northern NSW. In the first 12 months alone he added 11 new offices to its extensive network.
Steve’s passion is seeing offices grow, but not just for growths sake. Having owned and operated real estate agencies he understands the successes and challenges for business owners and their teams and how to guide them through these times.
In addition to being LJ Hooker’s QLD State Director, Steve now leads a national team to drive network growth across the country.
Shane Kempton - State Director WA and SA
Shane joined the LJ Hooker team in July 2019, initially as a High Performance Coach, specialising in mindset, mental conditioning and assisting people to become more internally motivated, driven and capable of handling any situation external to them. In January 2021, he joined the Executive Leadership Team and is now the State Director for Western Australia and South Australia.
During the last 3 decades, (including 20 years in real estate industry), Shane has experienced life and business from many perspectives and at the highest level. From serving his country as a Soldier working with the Australian SAS, Business Owner of Australian’s number 1 real estate office, CEO of three national real estate groups, Author of the book “Your Best Days Are Ahead Of You”, Founder and President of a Military Motorcycle Club which looks after our latest service veterans, through to hosting Sir Richard Branson for Breakfast and raising in excess of $160,000 for charity.
Shane is a proven leader and in his role as State Director, he is focussed on growth. He will continue to contribute to the ongoing personal and professional development of our people, whilst working closely with our Franchise Owners, assisting them with their business growth and strategic plans.