Newly-appointed CEO puts priorities in place to combat coronavirus crisis.

 

Peter Kelly, newly-appointed CEO of Winc Australia/New Zealand (pictured), has underlined the company’s commitment to provide products to its essential services customers, particularly those in the healthcare and emergency services sectors.

 

Kelly, who started with Winc on 11 March, provided the following statement to Office Products News:

 

“Escalating demand levels have seen pressures on the supply of some products particularly washroom paper, disposable gloves, face masks and hand sanitiser. We’ve been working closely with our vendors to support our customers in the essential services space to make sure they get first access to products in highly restricted supply. 

 

“This includes hospitals, aged care facilities, emergency services and government departments and agencies. 

 

“We believe this strategy is vitally important to ensure these critical products get to where they are needed most – to help fight CV-19 and to keep the country running.

 

New sources of supply

 

“To support the unprecedented demand in some categories, we’ve unlocked new sources of local and international supply but with a strict rule of not dealing with any company looking to profiteer from this terrible situation.

 

“There’s no denying that COVID-19 is creating fundamental changes for our industry and society in general. Some businesses are in hibernation, others are busier than ever. It would be naïve to think that there isn’t going to be a downtown and we are working with our customers on these changes as they happen. 

 

Pay cuts

 

“To help manage this, our management and office-based staff have taken cuts in pay so our DCs can remain focused on servicing the needs of our customers and the load can be shared as widely as possible and in the most responsible way.

 

“To support our customers at this time, however, we see it as our job to flex as the market requires it and to innovate to ensure needs are met. In order to do so, we’re looking at a number of different initiatives to support the work from home market while exploring the new opportunities that come with changing customer behaviour. 

 

“It’s certainly an interesting and challenging time for our industry but we have some solid plans in place and will continue to adapt them as necessary to ensure the service we offer our customers remains front and centre.”