Woolworths CMO Andrew Hicks steps down
The chief marketing officer of Woolworths, Andrew Hicks, will step down at the end of the 2025 financial year, after 16 years with the business.
Hicks first joined the Woolworths Group in 2008 as national marketing manager of Dan Murphy’s, and in 2012 he took on the general manager of marketing gig for Woolworths Liquor Group in 2012.
In 2015, Hicks moved to the Food portfolio, heading up marketing there for nearly four years, before moving into the CMO position in 2019.
Hicks announced his departure to staff on Thursday, although it is understood he made the decision several months ago.
In a statement to Mi3, he said said he felt it was the right time to take his next career step.
“It has been an enormous privilege to have been a part of the leadership team at Woolworths Group and to have been trusted with the opportunity to guide and grow such an iconic portfolio of brands,” he said.
“I have been privileged to have been surrounded by such a talented and committed brand and marketing team including our agency partners.
“I wanted to express my gratitude to the team for striving for excellence every day and for the camaraderie over the years,” he said.
CEO Amanda Bardwell thanked Hicks in a note to staff.
“As a member of the group executive team for the last 10 years, Andrew’s strategic, creative and leadership skills have had an impact in a wide variety of ways including the group’s response to Covid, award-winning marketing campaigns and helping to set up Cartology,” she said.
“Andrew has been instrumental in establishing our Woolworths Group brand including our group purpose of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow. Most recently Andrew’s keen sense of our customers’ needs has been invaluable as we reassert our focus on value.”
She also thanked him for the “pivotal” role he played in the turnaround of the Woolworths brand, including through the highly successful ‘That’s why I pick Woolies’ brand platform.
He will finish up in his role on June 30, but will remain close to the business in a brand and strategy consulting capacity.
“As Woolworths Group continues on its transformation, we are fortunate that Andrew, given his deep knowledge and understanding of Woolworths, our brand, and our customers has agreed to support me as a strategic brand consultant whilst he explores the next steps in his career,” Bartwell explained.
“Andrew has always led with care, purpose and creativity. We’d like to thank Andrew for his many years of support, the significant cultural change he has impacted, and for his keen insights, humour and the heartfelt customer focus he brought to our business.”
It is understood Woolworths has yet to start the search for his replacement.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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Wow, 16 years and left with the job of managing the team through “simplification” (aka redundancies and restructures) on the way out.
“…have yet to start the search for replacement…” suggests this was more than just him deciding it’s time to walk away. It’s hard to argue given the decline in the brand. They’ve done a speed run from most trusted to least trusted. Optus and Qantas must be jealous. Insiders are saying this is just the start of the cuts and the impacts are being seen in agencies already.
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Andrew is an exceptional marketer,intuitively creative and an opportunistic competitor in what is a cut throat category.He and the team he led resurrected the Woolworths brand in 2016 quickly nullifying Coles and its rampaging Down Down campaign.
The cause of their current fall from grace is far removed from marketing.
Be interesting to see what he does next.
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