Last month, Gumtree invited its entire workforce to its London HQ to commemorate independence day. The event had nothing to do with the US and its founding fathers. It was held to mark 18 months since the classified ads business completed its complex and difficult secession from previous owners eBay and Adevinta ASA.
The celebration was well earned, according to Gumtree’s CEO, Hugh Hurley. It signalled the end of a tumultuous period for the business, during which it went through two sales, overcame a regulatory challenge and formed several new departments from scratch.
“We had 18 months to build all these functions, while continuing to serve our customers and evolve the business,” he recalls. “It was an incredibly challenging time, but it’s something I’m so proud of.”