Following an extensive search conducted by Touchstone Recruitment, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has announced the appointment of Colm Maguire as Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Maguire has been acting in the role since mid-January 2025 after joining the AFGC in July 2024 as Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary.
He brings with him extensive leadership experience across the not-for-profit, health, and sport sectors, including 10 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Touch Football Australia and more recently seven years at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia as a Group Executive and COO, where he led major transformation programs and cultural improvements, delivering outstanding outcomes for members.
Mr Maguire has long held an interest and drive in delivering for members and not-for-profit organisations throughout his entire professional career, including as a Director on the Board of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia. Over the past few months, he has been a collaborative leader and progressive leader as the AFGC marks its 30th anniversary at the upcoming Food and Grocery Australia conference.
In addition, Mr Maguire has been engaging extensively with members as the organisation partners with broader industry colleagues and the newly elected Federal Government to support a thriving and trusted food and grocery supply industry.
Mr Maguire said: “I’m very humbled and energised to be taking on this exciting challenge. When it comes to delivering for members, I believe the best results come from deliberate engagement, understanding and genuine partnership. I will lead with collaboration as a default – because that’s exactly what this industry needs to tackle the complex issues it faces amid rising global uncertainty.
Chair of the AFGC Board, Anthony Holme, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Colm as CEO. Over the past year as COO and most recently as interim CEO, Colm has demonstrated outstanding leadership grounded in empathy, collaboration and decisiveness. He is an experienced and authentic leader who brings a strong commitment to innovation, stakeholder engagement and strategic progress.”
