The Chairman of the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA), Mr Grant O’Brien, announced the appointment of Ms Anna McPhee as the new Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s peak retail group this week.
Ms McPhee has over 20 years’ experience in retail businesses, representative groups and politics, and policy advocacy, with her most recent role being Chief of Staff to the former Premier of NSW.
In addition to an extensive background in Federal politics, Ms McPhee has worked for Wesfarmers, one of Australia’s leading retail business groups, was head of the Government practice at Korn/Ferry Futurestep and the Enhance Group and held senior corporate affairs roles at Ernst & Young and the NSW Business Chamber.
Ms McPhee is now Chair of the Diversity Council Australia and was CEO of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency between 2004 and 2008. She is widely considered a thought leader on workplace policy.
Mr O’Brien said Ms McPhee was uniquely placed to become only the second ANRA CEO since the peak retail group was formed in 2004 and would drive strategies to help members build a retail experience that will delight customers.
“ANRA members include Australia’s most trusted household names in supermarket chains, department stores and specialty retailers and employ around 500,000 people and account for more than $110 billion in annual retail turnover,” Mr O’Brien said.
“ANRA advocates a forward-looking policy agenda to help retailers meet customers’ needs including a consumer focused competition policy, a fair tax regime and policies that help promote investment and job creation.”
Ms McPhee said she was looking forward to starting work as ANRA CEO on 7 October and aims to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to help deliver a thriving retail environment for customers, employees and business.
“Australian retail is a very important part of the national economy, including its critical role in giving many young Australians, like myself, their first job and helping Australian families to combat rising living costs by keeping retail prices as low as possible” she said.
“I look forward to working with the ANRA Board and its members to promote Australian retail and ensure that barriers to growth, investment, job creation and lower prices are removed.”