PRESS RELEASE
8 September 2020
Woolworths Group has announced moves within its leadership team to better support its evolution into a Food and Everyday Needs Ecosystem.
Claire Peters, currently Managing Director of Woolworths Supermarkets, will take up a new position as Managing Director of B2B and Everyday Needs. In this role, Ms Peters will take leadership of Woolworths Group’s portfolio businesses including BIG W, Woolworths International, Wholesale and Property. Ms Peters will also take stewardship of the Group’s new partnership with PFD Food Services and join the Investment Committee of venture capital arm, W23.
Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said: “Claire has successfully led the ongoing transformation of Woolworths Supermarkets over the last three years.
“During her leadership we have seen significant increases in customer and brand metrics, implemented a new store operating model to better serve changing customer needs, implemented the foundation phases of Fresh Made Easy, evolved our store formats and materially improved supplier engagement. In more recent times, Claire has played a critical role in helping the Group navigate through COVID.
“In her new role, Claire will combine her detailed knowledge of the food and non-food retail environment to lead our important growth adjacencies. 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 in her new leadership position.”
After two years as Managing Director of Woolworths New Zealand, Natalie Davis will return to Australia from October and assume the role of Managing Director of Woolworths Supermarkets.
Mr Banducci said: “In the past two years, Natalie has led the growth of Woolworths New Zealand, worked to deliver improvements across customer, brand and reputation metrics and also rapidly grown Countdown X, especially in eCommerce. Natalie will work in partnership with the Food Leadership team to continue to transform our Australian Food Business.”
An announcement on the appointment of the new Managing Director of Woolworths New Zealand will be made in the coming weeks. In the interim, Sally Copland, General Manager Digital for Woolworths New Zealand will step into the role of Acting Managing Director.
Managing Director of Group Portfolio, Colin Storrie will take up a new role as Managing Director of New Business and Partnerships. Mr Storrie was named earlier this year as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer elect of Endeavour Group, but in light of the delay in the demerger it was mutually agreed not to proceed with the establishment of this role.
Mr Banducci said: “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.”
In addition to his responsibilities for the Group’s portfolio businesses, in recent years Mr Storrie has played a vital role in the exit of Masters, the demerger of the Group’s fuel business, the creation of Endeavour Group and was instrumental in the recent strategic partnership with PFD Food Services. His new role will see him continuing to lead our mergers and acquisition teams as we focus on key critical strategic initiatives.
“Whilst COVID has accelerated many of our plans to deliver on our ecosystem strategy, it is the talent and leadership that we have built within our Group that remains key to our success. Our leaders all bring different perspectives and experiences that enrich our business purpose of Better Together for a Better Tomorrow,” Mr Banducci concluded.