Countdown has appointed Steve Mills to the role of General Manager of Merchandise, replacing Scott Davidson who left Countdown at the end of 2019 to lead the BWS business (part of Endeavour Drinks) in Australia. Mills officially starts in his new role on 15 January.
Mills has been with Countdown for 27 years and brings with him a wealth of experience across both store operations and buying. Originally from Palmerston North, Steve began his Countdown career as a butchery manager in Porirua. After a couple of years in stores, he became an Area Manager (today’s equivalent of a Group Manager) before finally joining the buying team in Christchurch.
Countdown’s Managing Director, Natalie Davis, says “Steve is not only a talented buyer, but he is also deeply passionate about our team, our customers, our stores and our supplier partners. Steve’s leadership style has earned him respect from around the business and our supplier community, and his appointment also highlights the breadth of talent we have at Countdown.
“Steve is a proud Kiwi with a passion for empowering, mentoring and coaching his people, and I know he will bring this same drive, respect and commitment to this new role,” says Natalie Davis.
“I’m thrilled by the opportunity to lead the Countdown buying team and to continue to build on our relationships with our supplier partners and the momentum we are seeing,” says Steve Mills.
“Serving customers and working with my people has been in my blood for 27 years and I’m proud to say that throughout that time I’ve worked right across our business. For me, this new role is an opportunity to combine my history and experience with what really matters to Kiwi consumers today, which is not only product and price, but increasingly a focus on health, sustainability and a much greater awareness and understanding of the whole supply chain.”
