Kmart boss swaps homewares for office supplies.

 

When John Gualtieri (pictured) takes over as managing director of Officeworks in August, he will bring with him an impressive track record of large-scale retail management.

 

Following the surprise resignation of Sarah Hunter (see earlier story), Gualtieri has swapped discount department store clothing and homewares for stationery, office supplies and an expanding range of technology products.

 

Currently chief executive of Kmart and Target A/NZ, Gualtieri joined Kmart in 2008 as the divisional merchandise manager for the home division. He was appointed chief operating officer at Kmart, and in 2021 was elevated to Kmart CEO.

 

Two years later, after Kmart and Target merged, he became the CEO of both chains. Before joining Kmart, Gualtieri spent 20 years at department store Myer in various roles. 

 

The Kmart group has around 450 stores compared to around 270 for Officeworks.

 

Prior to her resignation, Hunter ran through a ‘hit list’ of growth targets at a Wesfarmers strategy briefing day in Sydney on 22 May, at which she revealed the retailer will open six new stores in 2026 along with major refurbishments to four outlets.

 

Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott said Gualtieri had been instrumental in executing Kmart’s transformation into one of the “most loved retail brands in the country”.

 

“John’s deep retail and commercial experience, coupled with his leadership skills, will take Officeworks into its next phase of growth. His appointment highlights the strength of Wesfarmers’ leadership and talent development processes,” 

 

Scott added. “John joins Officeworks at an exciting time, with the business focused on strengthening its omnichannel customer experience, transforming its technology offer and scaling its business-to-business operations.”