Experienced FMCG exec to take up challenging role.

 

Winc Australia/New Zealand is expected to announce the appointment of a new CEO within the next few days. 

 

Office Products News understands Peter Kelly (pictured), the former boss of industrial group Blackwoods, will succeed interim CEO Adelle Howse.

 

Howse, an experienced corporate consultant, has overseen a significant number of staff cutbacks at private equity-owned Winc since taking over from previous CEO Darren Fullerton last year.

 

Ironically, prior to joining Wesfarmers-owned Blackwoods in 2016, Kelly had a long career with Coca-Cola Amatil while Fullerton was at one time CEO of Pepsico Australia.

 

Kelly resigned as CEO of Blackwoods in December last year. 

 

Blackwoods has sales $1.3 billion, more than 300,000 products (including office supplies) and around 2500 employees across Australia and New Zealand.

 

Following his stint as managing director at CCA, Kelly took on the challenging role as managing director of subsidiary company SPC Ardmona, a company which made headlines after Kelly took drastic action with employees, fruit growers and supermarkets to save the company from going under against a wave of cheap imports.

 

When he left CCA at the end of March 2015, chief executive Alison Watkins said he had “restored the confidence of consumers, customers and shareholders” in SPC Ardmona.