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By Alec Hogg
Fifteen years after leaving the corporate he ran for over a decade, 70-year-old grasp retailer Sean Summers is returning to guide Choose ‘n Pay. Beneath Summers’ steering, the corporate loved undisputed management of the sector now dominated by rival Shoprite.
The appointment is a daring transfer by chairman Gareth Ackerman, who was just lately within the headlines after popping out strongly towards Pretoria’s mismanagement of the economic system. His forthright strategy is harking back to the various battles his late father Raymond had with SA’s Authorities, particularly through the group’s childhood.
Eight years after leaving Choose n Pay in 2007, Summers returned to retailing after being employed by Steinhoff to run its 450-store UK beds and furnishings enterprise. His clashes with Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste throughout a turbulent two years with the failed company turned the stuff of in-house legend, particularly after Jooste lashed out throughout a board assembly the place Summers questioned his strategy.
Though Summers stayed on at Steinhoff, he remained just about within the background till Jooste left. The brand new managers charged him with settling down the group’s greatest asset, the US-based Mattress Agency, which Summers bedded down efficiently by means of extraordinarily troublesome circumstances.
In an interview in London in September 2015, Summers expressed his deep respect for Choose n Pay founder Raymond Ackerman, with whom he labored for 33 years, 11 as CEO. The trade will anticipate a really totally different Choose n Pay below Summers’ management.
As he mentioned throughout that interview: “I at all times liken retail to hand-to-hand fight. It’s. There are mounted bayonets within the trenches each day, and it’s actual warfare. Once we ran the corporate, we had been very a lot of that mindset.”
Click on right here to entry the audio and transcript of that in-depth interview with Summers.
Right here’s the complete announcement from Choose n Pay, launched at 8am this morning:
SEAN SUMMERS TO RETURN AS PICK N PAY CEO
Choose n Pay introduced as we speak that Pieter Boone is stepping down as Group CEO and can be changed by Sean Summers. Sean returns to the Group following a earlier, extremely profitable, tenure as CEO between 1999 and 2006. Pieter will help Sean by means of a brief handover interval.
Chairman Gareth Ackerman commented:
“I need to thank Pieter for his dedication to Choose n Pay over the previous two-and-a-half years. He turned our CEO whereas the Covid pandemic was nonetheless raging, and has led the enterprise by means of some extraordinary challenges, together with the transition out of the Covid lockdown, the unprecedented civil unrest in 2021, and the present loadshedding disaster. Regardless of this, he devised and led the launch of our Ekuseni strategic plan, overseeing the very pleasing acceleration of our Boxer, Clothes and Omnichannel development engines, and launching our new QualiSave model.
“Sadly, in a really troublesome setting, the efficiency of our core Choose n Pay enterprise has been very difficult over the previous months, and has not met expectations. Pieter accepts that the Board has selected a change in management. He leaves us with our heartfelt thanks and finest needs for the long run.”
Sean Summers will take over as Group CEO, with a objective to show across the efficiency of the Group’s Choose n Pay Retail core engine, whereas guaranteeing the continued success of the Group’s development methods. He may even prioritise an efficient handover plan to the subsequent era of management within the firm.
Sean Summers labored beforehand for the Group between 1974 and 2007, rising to turn into Managing Director in 1996, and CEO in 1999. He left the Group in 2007. Throughout his tenure, Choose n Pay was the clear grocery market chief in South Africa. The late Raymond Ackerman described Sean as ”a superb chief, who achieved outstanding issues at Choose n Pay”.
Gareth Ackerman commented:
“We’re delighted that Sean is coming again to Choose n Pay. His information and expertise is unrivalled. He’s obsessed with getting Choose n Pay again on to the proper trajectory, and profitable the belief and confidence of shoppers new and outdated. He’s completely the proper particular person for the job right now.
“Sean is an inspirational chief. He’ll galvanise our groups, energise them to present every part for our prospects, and delight the communities we serve.”
Sean Summers mentioned:
“I’m very excited to be coming residence to Choose n Pay. Retailing is my ardour, and this firm is in my blood. I’ve nice pleasure and power for the duty forward.
“I’m wanting ahead tremendously to assembly our groups up and down the nation. We’re on this collectively, and we are going to succeed collectively.
“I loved essentially the most extraordinary years, working with the late Raymond Ackerman, and we retained a deep private relationship to the top. One of the simplest ways I can honour Raymond and Wendy’s legacy is to place Choose n Pay again onto its rightful path to development and success. I labored carefully with Gareth for a few years, and we are going to make a terrific crew collectively.”
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