Keller Williams Taps Former Walmart CMO To Drive Growth Strategy
Former Walmart CMO Tony Rogers and Keller Covered founder John Keller will work together to lead Keller Williams parent company kwx’s growth strategy, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
Keller Williams isn’t done restructuring its executive suite.
Former Walmart Chief Marketing Officer Tony Rogers and Keller Williams board of directors member John Keller have been tapped to guide the Austin-based franchisor’s company-wide growth strategy, the brokerage revealed Tuesday. Rogers will serve as kwx’s new chief growth officer while Keller, who is KW founder Gary Keller’s son, will serve as the head of transformation.
“John and Tony are proven leaders who will drive our growth strategy by connecting our agents and consumers in more impactful ways,” said Carl Liebert, the CEO of Keller Williams parent company, kwx. “We’re excited to have their world-class talents on our leadership team as we continue on our rapid growth trajectory.”
As kwx’s new chief growth officer, Rogers will be responsible for accelerating growth amongst kwx’s ecosystem, which includes Keller Williams’ Realty, Keller Mortgage, Keller Covered, Keller Offers and Keller Williams Worldwide, using strategic marketing, branding and other communications-driven innovation and initiatives.
Prior to joining kwx, Rogers spent more than two decades leading the marketing strategies for Walmart, Sam’s Club, Frito-Lay, Pillsbury, and Gateway, the now-defunct computer company. The University of Texas-Austin graduate also spent five years as a senior auditor and senior financial analyst for two ‘big four’ accounting firms.
“I was instantly drawn to the people, culture and vision at Keller Williams,” Rogers said of his entrance into the real estate industry. “Like so many industries, real estate is being radically transformed by technology. And I am excited to have the opportunity to lean further into the disruption as we continue to position for aggressive growth.”
While Rogers leads kwx’s growth strategy via marketing, John Keller will focus on the logistical side of scaling the company’s subsidiaries. “We’re asking ourselves every day how we can best fuel an integrated homeownership experience to help our agents grow their businesses,” he said. “We see our agents as lifetime partners in homeownership. And, we’re focused on the R&D and M&A to support powerful consumer experiences well beyond the initial transaction.”
Keller has been a KW board of directors member since 2015, where he helped shape the strategy behind kwx and KW’s consumer home search app. Keller is also a Keller Capital partner and the founder of Keller Covered, kwx’s insurance services arm.
“Our growth potential is unlimited because of the talent we attract,” Keller said of the latest additions to kwx. “There’s simply no better time to be with Keller Williams.”
Over the past three years, Keller Williams has gone through several major executive shakeups that included Gary Keller leaving his CEO post, Carl Liebert taking the reigns as kwx’s first-ever CEO, and former KW President Josh Team abruptly leaving the company in early 2021.
Since then, the company has strategically revamped the executive lineup for all of its segments, which has primarily hinged on creating new positions for its agent communities.
“The labor market around Austin, our remote work strategy, and other external factors have played a role in our hiring this year,” KW President Marc King said in December of the company’s revitalized recruitment strategy. “All of that has created a ton of excitement, a ton of opportunity and plays into our strategy moving forward.”