Peter Wilkinson Travels from VIC
Fee Range: :$5001 to $10000
Peter Wilkinson's Biography
With over 40
years’ experience in retail, Peter Wilkinson is passionate about brand,
business relationships, structure, processes and change. Peter held a number of senior retail roles including Managing
Director of Target Australia, of Myer and Grace Bros Dept Store Group, of The
Just Group and of David Jones.
Commencing his
career in South Africa, Peter Wilkinson held the positions of Regional Manager
of Edgars and General Manager at Truworths. He then migrated to Australia in
1977 to join Target Australia.
After a number
of retail roles, Peter was appointed Managing Director of Target Stores at a
time when it was grappling with direct competition from Kmart and Big W. A
lengthy period of successful market repositioning and profitable growth
followed.
After a merger
with Coles that formed the Coles Myer Group, Peter was appointed Managing
Director of Myer Stores in 1987. At the time, Myer was the largest Department
Store in the country, but producing ever diminishing profits. They took
earnings above $200 million from sales just over $3.2 billion.
In 1988, he was
appointed to the Board of Coles Myer Limited and appointed Chief Operating
Officer of the corporation in 1991, responsible for annual retail sales of $17
billion through eleven retail brands.
Peter left
Coles Myer in 1995 and spent two productive years heading the Just Jeans Group
with Craig Kimberley.
In 1997, he
took on the challenge of rebuilding the upmarket Department Store group David
Jones. It had been losing market share and profits, subsequent to its float two
years earlier. Six years later, Peter left the company after a successful
re-positioning of David Jones and years of profitable market share growth.
He now shares
his time between several board positions and consulting opportunities as they
arise.
Passionate
about retail, Peter considers himself a storekeeper at heart although he’s held
CEO roles with several of Australia’s leading department stores and discount
retailers.
Throughout his
career, barely a day has passed that he hasn't walked the store floor, talking
to staff, customers and suppliers, feeling the heartbeat of his business.
Retail is in his blood and has been his focus for over 40 years. His greatest
successes have come when he’s taken roles in organisations in decline. He
builds and develops the executive team and senior management in order to
deliver meaningful change in the brand, structure, processes and relationships
of the business.