About Us
Find Your Place In The World
If you’re a student, now is one of the most exciting times of your life. You’re free to discover what it is that makes you tick, try new things for the first time and, ultimately, how you want to make an impact in the world.
You’ve settled on a course and a university/college to study at, and now need to work out where you’re going to live.
UniLodge provides purpose build student accommodation either on campus or in close proximity to major educational institutions, including universities, colleges and TAFE, across Australia and New Zealand. With more than 130+ properties under our management, we know a thing or two about student accommodation.
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38,000+
Managed Beds
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1220+
Employed Staff
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130+
Lodges
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2
Countries
Our residents hail from different cultures and walks of life, and have travelled from all across the globe to study at the educational institution of their choice. We are proud to be the student accommodation provider of choice for these students and to be able to provide them with a super supportive community when they leave home – our exciting Community Spirit Program provides residents with regular community events and staff support to make new friends in a safe and inclusive environment.
Our Team
Peter Bates
Executive ChairmanPeter Bates joined UniLodge in September 2006 as the Chief Executive Officer. In July 2018, Peter was appointed the role of Executive Chairman to focus on servicing UniLodge’s key partners, growth strategies and new business initiatives.
In the decade since he joined UniLodge, with his expertise in project management, project delivery, business management and finance has seen him oversee growth of the UniLodge portfolio from 3,500 beds to over 20,000 beds under management. A civil engineer by profession, Peter graduated from the University of Queensland.
He started his career with the construction arm of Lend Lease, Civil & Civic in 1987 in Brisbane and has enjoyed a 19 year career with Lend Lease. Peter's time with Lend Lease took him to many locations in Australia and into Asia, where he spent nine years in Bangkok, Singapore and Shanghai in senior management roles.
Tomas Johnsson
Chief Executive OfficerTomas Johnsson joined UniLodge in September 2018 as the Chief Executive Officer. He has over 25 years’ experience in senior management roles in the tourism industry specialising in accommodation.
Prior to joining UniLodge, Tomas was the Chief Operating Officer of the Mantra Group, and was responsible for Operations, Sales, Marketing, Revenue, Distribution and Digital functions across the Group. Tomas has also held senior management roles with General Property Trust including Sheraton Four Points Darling Harbour, Ayers Rock Resort and Voyages Resorts, as well as Mirvac and Rydges Hotels.
Tomas successfully completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2016 and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Prior board positions include Accommodation Association of Australia, Asia Pacific Student Accommodation Association and HOTA, Home of the Arts. Tomas previously served as an expert member, Council for International Education and is currently Deputy Chair of the Student Accommodation Council by The Property Council of Australia in 2022.
Chris Webb
Chief Financial OfficerChris has more than 20 years’ experience in a diverse range of senior financial, commercial and leadership roles and joined UniLodge in June 2018 as Chief Financial Officer. Chris is particularly passionate about building strong teams and enabling business growth.
Chris was previously Chief Financial Officer at RetireAustralia and prior to that held senior commercial roles as a consultant on major mining and infrastructure projects at Rio Tinto, BHP and Newcrest, as well as spending a number of years at QIC in equity research covering a broad range of market sectors.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. He trained as a Chartered Accountant at PwC in Corporate Tax and is a Fellow of Finsia.
Matt Row
Chief Operating OfficerMatt Row joined UniLodge in March 2017 and is responsible for the management of all of UniLodge’s operations in Australia & NZ.
He has over 20 years' management experience in the construction, vocational training and property industries. Prior to joining UniLodge, Matt was Chief Operating Officer for Retire Australia, the largest private retirement village owner operator in Australia.
He has also previously held the positions of Business Services Manager for Heritage Pacific and Meridien as well as being General Manager for a large registered training organisation and group training company.
Matt is currently Vice President of the Student Accommodation Association and is a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders.
Grant Waldeck
Chief Sales and Marketing OfficerGrant Waldeck joined UniLodge in September 2017 with 20 years of marketing experience with international blue chip brands such as Flight Centre, Queensland Rail, Compare the Market Australia and most recently, Domino's Pizza Indonesia - in the role of Marketing Director.
A hands-on creative thinker with expertise in social media, digital and direct marketing, PR and branding, Grant has a proven track record in bringing big ideas to life.
He has a Bachelor of Psychology degree from the University of Western Australia and an MBA, majoring in Marketing, from Curtin Graduate School of Business.
Vicki Nagle
Chief People OfficerVicki Nagle was appointed Chief People Officer in March 2019. Vicki has over 20 years’ human resources experience in hospitality, construction, manufacturing and wholesaling. Her career has taken her throughout Australia, the United Kingdom and the Maldives.
Vicki’s passion is enabling people to achieve their career goals and drive success in the business. She is excited about the growth opportunities in her new role, and the chance to coach managers and her team to build even greater capability at UniLodge.
Vicki is currently completing a Masters in Employment Relations. She also holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resources.
Kate Stock
General Manager - MarketingKate Stock was appointed to the role of General Manager – Marketing for UniLodge in February 2016. Kate made the decision to focus her marketing career in the burgeoning property sector in 2007 and has never looked back. In the ensuing decade she has accumulated an extensive body of experience across some of Australia’s leading property sector brands and businesses.
She has been directly responsible for successful marketing campaigns and brand development projects for retirement villages, residential and commercial developments and, most recently, was National Marketing Manager for the PRDnationwide franchise business, owned by Colliers International. Kate has completed a Bachelor of Business, Majoring in Marketing and Management from the University of the Sunshine Coast.
A well-rounded marketer, Kate’s experience spans a multitude of marketing channels and she thrives on the fast-paced student accommodation sector.
Ranyi Bauer
General Manager - FinanceRanyi Bauer was appointed to the role of General Manager – Finance in November 2015. Ranyi completed a Bachelor of Business, Accounting major and a Bachelor of Law at QUT in Brisbane and has completed an Emerging Leaders course through AIM. Ranyi began her career looking after a diverse range of accounting and tax clients at PricewaterhouseCoopers, becoming a qualified Chartered Accountant in 2003. She then moved to the UK where she gained international experience in the financial services industry. Ranyi has implemented new accounting systems both here and in London, transitioned a business to private equity investors and worked in high growth organisations. Ranyi has been leading high performing Finance teams for the last 10 years, adopting a value add and business partnering approach to all developments.