Woolworths Group has appointed Dr Rob McCartney to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer.
The appointment is said to be a first for an Australian retailer. According to Woolworths, the position has been created to provide the business with expert medical advice to help shape policies that will ensure the ongoing safety of teams and customers as the nation continues to live with COVID-19.
Dr McCartney joins Woolworths Group with more than 20 years’ experience in occupational medicine.
Woolworths Group Safety, Health & Wellbeing General Manager Brian Long says the safety of Woolworths’ teams and customers is its highest priority.
“Dr Rob McCartney is a highly credentialed specialist occupational physician,” he says.
“We’re delighted to have his experience on the Woolworths team to help build on our existing COVIDsafe protocols.
“There is a plethora of medical information and advice to consider in the planning and implementation of a COVID safe workplace. This appointment ensures we have an internal expert, with a grounding in medical advice, to help make well informed long-term decisions on the safety and wellbeing of our teams and customers.”
A ‘highly specialised’ role
The Woolworths Group Chief Medical Officer position is said to be a “highly specialised and technical leadership role”, providing direct input into the Woolworths Board and its relevant sub-committees as well as the Group Executive Committee.
Other responsibilities for the role include engagement with regulatory authorities and state and federal health departments, and the development of ongoing educational materials for team members.
Dr McCartney says he is very excited to be joining “this great Australian company”.
“With my experience as a physician working at the interface of health and work, I look forward to assisting Woolworths in maximising the health, wellbeing and safety of its team members and customers,” he says.
“Given the scale of current public health challenges, I’ll be looking to hit the ground running. Together with the safety and leadership teams, I’ll be focused on implementing best practice COVID-19 risk management across the business as we navigate the pandemic.”