Shakeup at Woolies as clothing boss ousted after nine months

New Woolworths CEO Sam Ngumeni has announced sweeping changes to the retail group’s leadership structure in what he describes as a “reset operating model” which will “simplify operations [and] eliminate duplication”.

Former CEO of its Fashion, Beauty and Home (FBH) unit, Nuholt Huisamen, is out after just nine months in the role. He joined Woolies from Levi Strauss, where he headed up its East Asia Pacific region.

Former Woolworths boss, Roy Bagattini, would’ve surely had a hand in recruiting his former colleague to South Africa (Bagattini, who was born in South Africa, was president: Americas at Levi’s prior to returning home in February 2020).

Huisamen will be replaced at FBH from 1 July by Manie Maritz, who led that unit between June 2020 and September 2025. During that time, under Bagattini, he was instrumental in turning around the ailing business unit, particularly in fashion.

Maritz’s relinquishing of that role to head up Woolworths Ventures was part of a clearly telegraphed plan for him to take early retirement (he is 58).

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The group says Maritz “has agreed to defer his retirement and lead the FBH business during this time”. Maritz had a long career at TFG between 1993 and 2018 (aside from a short stint at LA Group), where he started as a buyer.

He led the integration of both TFG London (Phase Eight, Whistles and Hobbs) and TFG Australia (Retail Apparel Group) into TFG.

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Chan Pillay, who is currently commercial director for Food, is the new CEO of Woolworths Food, filling the role vacated by Ngumeni’s promotion. Pillay’s name has cropped up repeatedly in coverage of the Beyers Chocolates-Woolworths dispute which eventually saw the retailer shift production of its iconic Chuckles brand away from Beyers to Premier. Beyers entered liquidation in April.

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Portfolio and leadership changes

It is collapsing the Woolworths Ventures incubation unit given that Ngumeni believes it has achieved its mandate. Small-format clothing brand WEdit (stocking only basics) moves into FBH, while boutique liquor outlet WCellar moves into the Food unit.

Absolute Pets will continue to operate separately from the main South African business and Food Services (WCafé and Now Now) will move to the strategy portfolio, with Chris Brikkels, current head of strategy execution for Food, appointed as director of strategy.

Ngumeni has created a new COO role which consolidates its supply chain, logistics, retail operations, stores, and real estate development functions as well as its rest of Africa network into a single division.

Current chief supply chain officer, Bradley Nitsckie, has been appointed as COO.

It has also consolidated online, IT, data and analytics, AI and cyber security into a single digital and technology division. Christie Koorts, currently chief information and technology officer, will become chief digital and technology officer.

Finally, it has created a chief marketing officer (CMO) role, which also has oversight of its sustainability and loyalty functions. The current director of brand and marketing, Simphiwe Pato, has been appointed interim CMO.

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Reset ‘keeping pace with ambition’

Zaid Manjra (group CFO), Melanie Naidu (group people director), Chantel Reddiar (director: Governance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Corporate Affairs & Communications and group company secretary) and Steven Cook (CEO of Country Road Group) remain in their roles.

The chief customer officer role ceases to exist, and Spencer Sonn will leave at the end of June. In a terse reference, Woolworths says that Sonn and Huisamen “depart with thanks for their contributions and well wishes for their futures”.

Woolworths says that after an assessment since taking over as CEO on 1 June, Ngumeni believes that the “organisation’s operating model has not kept pace with its ambition”.

Ngumeni says, “The new organisational design brings accountability closer to where value is created and equips the group with the right people in the right roles. I have full confidence in my executive leadership team and will rely on each of them to fulfil our ambition and move us forward as an organisation.”

Read: Reeza Isaacs resigns as Woolies group finance director

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