Airbnb Announces New Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand

A new country manager will be at the helm of Airbnb, one of the world’s leading community-driven hospitality companies, as they continue to expand the business in Australia and New Zealand. Sam McDonagh, co-founder of Quickflix, has earned the position.

McDonagh is a native of Perth and has over 20 years of experience in senior management roles with companies like eBay and iiNet. McDonagh will be based in Sydney once he starts with the company, and will focus on further developing and growing the company in the market by supporting the local team in strategic initiatives and partnerships.

With the company experiencing rapid growth in Australia – Australian listings have more than doubled in the last year – McDonagh’s first initiatives will be to continue to increase awareness of Airbnb in the region, and make sure that customers are provided with unique travel experiences.

 “Australia and New Zealand are incredibly important markets for Airbnb both in terms of domestic and international travel,” said head of global operations, Varsha Rao. "Sam has a deep passion for travel and a great track record growing companies that are focused on strong customer communities, which will make him a great asset to Airbnb.”

 “Airbnb is an incredible company that is quite simply changing the way people travel. This role presents a brilliant opportunity to work with one of the most dynamic communities of passionate hosts and travellers in the world today, and I couldn’t be more excited to support the company’s efforts in Australia and New Zealand,” said McDonagh.