Woolworths appoints Roy Bagattini as new group CEO

Roy Bagattini

Bagattini, a South African, joins Woolworths from Levi Strauss & Co, one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies, where he was executive vice president and president of Americas. He was responsible for leading the company’s largest commercial operations, including a significant network of retail stores, spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Latin America and last year delivered over half of Levi’s global revenue.

He also played an instrumental role in the development and acceleration of the e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities of Levi Strauss.

In a statement released by WHL, the company says that Bagattini has an extensive track record of delivering profitable growth and shared-value creation in leadership roles across the U.S., Middle East, Africa and Europe for consumer goods and beverage companies, most notably Levi Strauss, Carlsberg and SABMiller.

In addition to leading numerous large scale merger and acquisition projects, he has also spearheaded the turnaround of several international companies and successfully driven the growth and expansion of various businesses, particularly in emerging markets.

Navigating industry changes

Commenting on the appointment, WHL chairman, Hubert Brody, said, “Roy has extensive operational, management and turnaround experience in global consumer and retail markets, which will prove invaluable as we continue to navigate the structural changes taking place in the retail sector and the challenges particular to our Group. The experienced executive management team, under Roy’s leadership, will continue to drive the future strategy for the Group. The Board welcomes Roy and looks forward to his contribution.”

Bagattini said of his appointment, "It is a great privilege to be given the opportunity to lead this iconic company at this important stage in its history. I am excited about the tremendous potential of the Group and am looking forward to working with our talented and passionate people to elevate our brands, build deeper connections with our customers and, in doing so, realise this potential across all our businesses."

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In order to ensure a seamless transition, Moir will be working closely with Bagattini to hand over and will continue as acting CEO of David Jones.

Woolworths thanked Moir for his stewardship of the Group for the last nine years. “The Board and I would like to sincerely thank Ian for his custodianship of our business and for his commitment to the smooth leadership transition. We look forward to his continued contribution in delivering the turnaround strategy for David Jones as acting CEO,” concludes Brody.