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Board of Directors

Peter Birtles

BSc Hons, FCA, MAICD
Non-executive Chairman

Peter has over 30 years’ experience in retail and consumer goods industries, including 18 years with Super Retail Group Limited where he was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from 2006 to early 2019, and therefore brings a strong retail and FMCG lens to his role.

Peter’s executive career also includes extensive experience in accounting and
finance having previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Super Retail Group Limited, as well as other senior financial roles during his 12 years with The Boots Company in the UK and Australia.

Peter is Chair and non-executive director of Universal Store Holdings Limited (since October 2020), and also a director of APG & CO Pty Limited and Apparel Group (Hong Kong) Limited (both since July 2019), as well as Good360 Australia Ltd (since August 2019). Peter was formerly a non-executive director of GWA Group Limited (2010 to 2022).

Doug Jones

BComm, Accounting, Tax, Auditing, Information Systems, CA(SA)

CEO, Metcash Group

Doug is an experienced executive with extensive wholesale, retail and eCommerce experience. He spent 14 years with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Massmart group which is majority-owned by Walmart Inc. It has leading market positions in wholesale food, liquor, home improvement and general merchandise.

Before joining Metcash Doug was CEO and Senior Vice President of Massmart Wholesale, which includes ‘big box’ format food, liquor, and general merchandise stores serving retail, commercial and wholesale customers; cash and carry stores; buying groups that service wholesale and independent retail customers; and a number of eCommerce platforms.

Doug is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has previously held senior finance positions in Makro SA, Amalgamated Beverages Industries Limited and The South African Breweries, all in Johannesburg, CocaCola Enterprises in Canada, and Deloitte in both Canada and South Africa.

Margaret Haseltine

BA, FAICD
Non-executive Director

Margaret (Margie) has more than 30 years of experience across supply chains and logistics, customer interface in the FMCG sector, change management and governance. Her executive career includes 20 years at Mars Inc. including five years as Chief Executive Officer of Food in Australia.

Margie is Non-Executive Director of Tyesoon Limited (since February 2022), Bapcor Limited (since 2016, and Chair since February 2021), Real Pet Food Company Pty Ltd (since March 2022) and Kennards Hire Pty Limited (since October 2022). She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mark Johnson

(BCom, CPA, FCA, FAICD) Independent Non-executive
Director

Mark has 35 years’ experience as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand and then PwC, including as PwC’s National Assurance Leader in Australia from 2003 to 2007 and then as its Chief Executive Officer, Australia and Deputy Chairman, Asia Pacific from 2008 to 2012.

Mark has also had an extensive non-executive director career for over a decade, currently holding directorships at HCF Group (since 2013), where he is also Chairman, Boral Limited (since 2021), Goodman Group (since 2020), Aurecon Ltd (since 2017) and Sydney Aviation Alliance Holdings Pty Ltd and subsidiaries (since October 2022). He is also a director of a number of private organisations including The Smith Family and is a Councillor of UNSW.

Murray Jordan

MPA
Non-executive Director

Murray has extensive experience in the independent retail sector, bringing unique insight and perspective to the Board regarding the challenges faced by independent retailers and the valuable role they play in the community. Murray was previously the Managing Director of New Zealand grocery retail and wholesale business Foodstuffs North Island Limited, a co-operative wholesale company, supplying independently owned and operated businesses in the supermarkets, food service and liquor sectors. He has also held key management positions in property development and investment.

Murray is a non-executive director of Metlifecare Pty Limited, Asia Pacific Village Holdings Pty Limited and Asia Pacific Village Group Pty Limited (each since November 2020), Stevenson Group Limited (since July 2016) and Chorus Limited (since Seotember 2015), each a New Zealand company.

He is also a trustee of the Foodstuffs Member Protection Trust and Co-operative Perpetuation Trust (both since January 2019), a trustee of the Southern Cross Health Trust (since August 2019), a director of the Southern Cross Medical Care Society (since January 2020), a director of Deakin TopCo Pty Ltd.

Helen Nash

BA (Hons), GAIDC

Non-executive Director

Helen has more than 20 years executive experience across three diverse industries: consumer packaged goods, media and quick service restaurants.

Helen brings rounded commercial and consumer focused experience to her role. She initially trained in the UK as a Certified Management Accountant, and 18 years in brands and marketing allow her to bring a strong consumer lens to the Board. She gained extensive strategic, operational and general management experience in her role of Chief Operating Officer at McDonalds Australia.

Helen is a non-executive director of Southern Cross Media Group Limited (since 2015) and Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited (since 2017) and was appointed Chair of Inghams in August 2022.

Julie Hutton

B Asian Studies (Viet), LLB, LLN, GAICD
Company Secretary

Julie joined Metcash in 2016 from law firm Baker & McKenzie, where she was a partner who specialised in mergers & acquisitions, private equity and corporate restructures.

Julie is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was formerly a Non-executive Director of AVCAL, a national association which represents the private equity and venture capital industries in Australia.