A number of executive changes at conglomerate Woolworths Group will see its businesses operating under different hands, the company announced today.
As the business continues its evolution toward becoming a “food and everyday needs ecosystem”, the leadership team reshuffle will see Claire Peters, who currently serves as managing director of Woolworths Supermarkets, take up the mantle of managing director of B2B and Everyday Needs.
This will put Peters in charge of Big W, Woolworths International, Wholesale and Property, as well as the recently announced partnership with PFD Food Services.
During Peters’ leadership of supermarkets, Woolworths saw seen increases in customer and brand metrics, implemented a new store operating model, implemented the foundation phases of Fresh Made Easy, evolved store formats and materially improved supplier engagements said group CEO Brad Banducci.
“In her new role, Claire will combine her detailed knowledge of the food and non-food retail environment to lead our important growth adjacencies,” Banducci said.
“These areas of our business are critical to the next phase of our journey and we look forward to the opportunities that Claire and her team will unlock.”
And filling Peters’ now vacant role will be Natalie Davis, who has spent the past two years as managing director of Woolworths New Zealand and will relocate back to Australia.
Davis has headed up multiple improvements across Woolworths New Zealand, known locally as Countdown, and grown the business’ e-commerce offer and Countdown X.
For the time being, Countdown general manage for digital Sally Copland will step up to fill Davis’ position, and a search for a replacement will be finalised in the coming weeks.
And with the delay to the spinning off of Endeavour Group, Colin Storrie, who was named as chief operating and financial officer for the drinks group, will instead take up a role within Woolworths as managing director of new business and partnerships – which will see Storrie lead mergers and acquisitions.
“Colin is, in many ways, the unsung hero of our senior leadership team, generally working behind the scenes on many strategic initiatives that have helped us build the business that we have today,” Banducci said.
