Barry Judge has been appointed as chief executive (CEO) of eBay Motors Group and Motors.co.uk.

He will oversee the company’s overall B2B and B2C strategy, including collaboration between Motors.co.uk and sister site Gumtree Motors, to help increase choice for car buyers and expand commercial opportunities for car retailers via the reach of eBay Motors Group.

eBay Motors Group has also announced a new senior management structure with Phill Jones (pictured right) appointed as chief operating officer (COO), with responsibility for both commercial and operational teams; Lucy Tugby becoming marketing director and Katherine Cunliffe becoming product director; while Gary Reck continues as chief technology officer.

All report into Judge.

Judge joins from Houza, a property marketplace in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he co-founded in 2019, where he remains a board member.

Daniel Ozen, O3 Industries' president, said: “Barry Judge is a proven leader with outstanding business acumen as an entrepreneur and disruptive innovator in the Middle East marketplace industry and we are delighted to welcome him to the business.

“Barry's appointment is a key part of our strategy to create focused Motors and Gumtree businesses to better unlock each business's potential.”

Previously, Judge was CEO for OLX MENA, a network of marketplaces present in over 30 countries. Prior to which he was CEO of Dubizzle, a start-up disruptor he grew from launch, which was acquired by the OLX Group in 2019 for $400m.

“Joining the business as CEO at such a pivotal time in its evolution under new ownership is an exciting challenge. I am looking forward to working with the team to lead the next chapter in its growth as the go-to marketplace for car retailers and car buyers,” said Judge.

Used car supermarkets and franchised retailers responded to September’s sector stability to increase the value of their advertised vehicle stock by 1.5% and 1%, respectively.

Data from eBay Motors Group’s monthly Market View analysis showed that the average value of a used car advertised on its platforms grew for a second consecutive month – by 0.6% to £16,753 – during September.