Digital business heavyweight Chris Ellis has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer of Finder Australia, following an extensive 18-month search.

Ellis is the outgoing Vice President of Commercial and Business Development at ViacomCBS,  the parent company of MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, has held senior roles with MySpace, AOL and co-founded start-up cloud management tool GorillaStack.

The English-born father-of-two said he was honoured to join Finder and help cement their position as Australia’s leading comparison site.

“Finder has a really exciting growth story and an incredibly talented team who are committed to the next phase of the company’s success.

“I’m thrilled to be working closely with the Founders and the crew to elevate Finder’s offering in Australia and deliver on our mission to help Australians make better financial decisions every day – especially important in these uncertain times.” 

Ellis said his priority was to enable Finder to build on their success to scale up operations in a disciplined way, with a focus on deepening existing and building new partnerships.  

“Finder has enormous potential, particularly as technology and Open Banking evolves and creates new opportunities. We have a terrific foundation – our brand has never been stronger or more relevant. Our pipeline of new products and innovation has never been more robust – the recent App launch being a recent example,” he said. 

Ellis’s strong history in business development coupled with his long-standing digital experience made him the standout for the role, says Frank Restuccia, Finder Founder & Global Co-CEO.

“We searched high and low for the best candidate over a lengthy 18-month period and Chris was the standout person. Chris is a passionate digital business leader with an entrepreneurial drive and I am excited to have him lead our business here in Australia”, Restuccia said.

Fred Schebesta, Finder Founder & Global Co-CEO echoed the sentiment.

“This is a critical hire for Finder just like every hire is, as we look to take Finder to new global heights despite the increasingly challenging environment people are facing around the world,” Schebesta said. “I look forward to having Chris join our global senior leadership team and serve to empower more Australians to make great decisions for their life.”

Ellis’ appointment is effective immediately. 

All 450+ Finder crew globally have been working from home since March 16.

In a video address to the crew, Restuccia said the impact of COVID-19 means that “now, more than ever, we have a role to play in empowering people all over the world so they can stay well informed during this global crisis.”

A public letter from Finder’s founders can be found here. 

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