Managing Director of Countdown, Dave Chambers has been appointed to the role of Director, Woolworths Supermarkets, based in Sydney. The move from New Zealand across the Tasman will see Chambers lead more than 900 Woolworths supermarkets in Australia, which employ some 113,000 team members.
Dave Chambers has been Managing Director of Progressive Enterprises and the Countdown business since July 2011. In that time he has led the introduction of new categories (bulk food, kitchenware, apparel), reinvigorated the FreshChoice and SuperValue franchise brands and strategically repositioned Countdown to bring lower prices to New Zealanders.
He has been with the company since 1979, starting off stocking shelves in the Glenfield Foodtown supermarket in Auckland.
“I’ve had an incredible journey with this business for the last 36 years,” says Chambers. “I’ve worked on the shop floor, held a variety of roles in operations, overseen the amalgamation of three brands to become Countdown, and for the last three years I’ve been fortunate enough to lead the 18,000 hard-working New Zealanders in our team. I’ll miss it enormously, as well as all the people I’ve worked with along the way, but I’m also really looking forward to this new challenge.”
Steve Donohue, Countdown’s General Manager Merchandise, has been appointed Acting Managing Director, Progressive Enterprises until a new appointment has been made.
