Bobby Lehane: Fixing the Foundation of Australia’s Strata Sector

Lehane arrived at PICA Group to find a business struggling with profitability and inefficient, manual workflows. Processing 600,000 invoices annually by hand resulted in thousands of errors and lost documents, creating friction with suppliers and schemes alike. Rather than simply hiring more staff to manage the chaos, Lehane pushed for standardization across the company’s 30 branches. By automating repetitive tasks, PICA Group eliminated invoice loss and improved turnaround times, proving that scaling requires process discipline before technology.

However, the operational turnaround was only the beginning. Lehane soon identified that the challenges facing PICA were emblematic of a broader, long-term decline in the strata sector. With governments pushing for higher-density housing, the industry acts as a crucial, yet undervalued, bridge between policy and reality. Lehane has become an outspoken advocate for the sector, particularly regarding legislative changes and the role of insurance commissions. When PICA offered New South Wales clients a choice between commissions and fees in 2025, 86 percent opted for the commission model, highlighting a disconnect between policy intent and consumer preference.

Under his leadership, PICA has seen employee turnover drop from 33 percent to 17 percent, a shift Lehane attributes to empowering staff and fostering a culture of trust. He maintains that the industry’s future depends on moving beyond fragmentation to create a sustainable, respected professional field capable of supporting Australia’s housing ambitions.