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Anywhere has tapped former Capital One executive Rudy Wolfs to serve as its new chief technology officer, according to an announcement issued late Monday. Wolfs will spearhead Anywhere’s tech and product strategy, with two of the main priorities being recruiting more tech talent and streamlining the company’s suite of products for brokers and agents.
Ryan Schneider
“Rudy is an incredibly experienced technology leader who brings innovation and entrepreneurship to his work, whether he’s launching a new digital company or helping large-scale organizations drive digital transformation,” Anywhere president and CEO Ryan Schneider said in a prepared statement. “He has a very successful track record of growing and attracting great technology talent, reimagining complex systems, and moving with speed to deliver strategic results.”
Wolfs has been in the tech and financial services sector for 42 years, with positions at Applications Plus Inc., EveryWare Development Inc., ING DIRECT USA, Capital One and MyAdvocate. Wolfs’ longest professional tenure was at Capital One, where he served as the company’s senior vice president of digital and middleware technology, SVP and chief information officer of credit cards and small business, and senior vice president of technology.
Rudy Wolfs | Credit: LinkedIn
In addition to his executive experience, Wolfs is a Stealth Fintech senior technology advisor, Dreamit Accelerator startup mentor and a board member for Easter Seals’ Delaware and Maryland Eastern Shore chapter. He was also an angel investor with Robin Hood Ventures, an angel investment group focused on companies throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
“Anywhere is leveraging its unmatched scale, deep data access, and unique advantages to make the transaction experience easier for real estate entrepreneurs and small business owners, which given my background is an especially exciting opportunity,” Wolfs said. “The Anywhere product and technology team has made great progress, and I look forward to partnering with them, in collaboration with Anywhere business and brokerage leaders, to accelerate our digital transformation and deliver the future of real estate.”
While Anywhere gained a new CTO, it lost Chief Operating Officer Melissa McSherry. McSherry left Visa for Anywhere — then Realogy — in February 2022 to lead the franchisor’s product, technology, enterprise marketing and customer experience initiatives.
During her tenure, McSherry was a champion for Anywhere’s goal of reducing the “time, friction and cost” associated with buying and selling real estate by using some of the same tactics the credit card industry has used to streamline credit applications and approvals.
“I’ve been incredibly optimistic about the opportunity to fundamentally improve the lives of consumers, agents and brokers [and] really anybody who touches transactions,” she said during Inman Connect Las Vegas 2022. “You know, the timing of that may not be in five minutes from now, but I fundamentally believe that that’s where we’re going to end up.”
Anywhere didn’t share the reasoning behind McSherry’s impending departure on Feb. 26; however, it appears she’s leaving on good terms — she’s agreed to serve as a strategic advisor until April 1.
“I am proud of our ability to continue to attract innovative leaders who are drawn to the massive opportunity Anywhere has to positively impact the home buying and selling experience for everyone,” Schneider said. “I am also grateful for the tremendous contributions Melissa made during her time at Anywhere, and I appreciate her commitment to helping Rudy transition into his new role. I wish her great success as she moves to her next chapter.”
