Convenience chain 7-Eleven has appointed three new non-executive directors to its board as it tries to move forward after claims the company exploited workers.
The company’s chairman Michael Smith said appointing Sandra Birkensleigh, Elizabeth Gaines and Dharmendra Chandran showed leadership renewal after franchise operators underpaid thousands of workers.
“Sandra, Elizabeth and Dharmendra come to 7-Eleven with diverse and highly relevant skillsets, particularly in leading-edge corporate governance, finance, strategy, executive leadership and cross cultural engagement,” Smith said.
“Each of our new appointees will bring valuable perspectives to the board’s deliberations.”
Birkensleigh is a former senior partner at PwC and is a member of the Audit Committee of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Gaines was previously the CEO of ASX-listed Helloworld Ltd (formerly Jetset Travelworld Limited), a travel distribution business operating a retail franchise model across bricks and mortar and digital channels. Chandran’s previous corporate roles include director of HR for McKinsey & Co’s Southeast Asia Practice (based in Singapore) and several senior HR roles at Westpac.
The appointment of the three new non-executive directors continues a process of leadership renewal at 7-Eleven, including the appointments of Smith as chairman in September 2015 and Angus McKay as CEO in March this year.
