Richard Goyder to step down as Wesfarmers chief, ending 12-year reign

HE has overseen powerhouse Aussie retailers including Coles and Bunnings for more than a decade — and now he’s in the box seat to lead the AFL.

Outgoing Wesfarmers chief Richard Goyder is in the box seat to be next chairman of the AFL Commission.

WESFARMERS has announced veteran chief executive Richard Goyder will retire towards the end of the year, to be replaced by the head of the group’s industrial division, Rob Scott.

The reshuffle marks a major change at one of the nation’s biggest retail businesses, which owns Coles, Bunnings, Officeworks and Target among other operations.

It will also further fuel speculation Mr Goyder will replace Mike Fitzpatrick as chairman of the Australian Football League this year.

Mr Goyder has been an AFL commissioner since 2011.

Speculation is rife that he is next in line to be chairman of the AFL Commission, to which the league’s chief executive, Gillon McLachlan, answers.

AFLW underway in WA. Great crowd at Fremantle Oval, brilliant atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/BJZtnpWsjk

— Richard Goyder (@RGoyder) February 12, 2017

Mike Fitzpatrick has been commission chairman since 2007 and is widely expected to announce his retirement this year.

A former president of Fremantle Football Club, Mr Goyder sent a Tweet from Fremantle Oval on Sunday hailing what he said was a great crowd and brilliant atmosphere for the Fremantle vs. Brisbane AFL Women’s match.

He leaves Wesfarmers after a 12-year reign during which it bought and transformed Coles into the nation’s best-performing supermarket chain and engineered Bunnings into the undisputed hardware heavyweight.

Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney noted the Perth-based company’s value had increased from $15 billion to around $50 billion under Mr Goyder’s leadership.

“Richard has been an extraordinary leader at Wesfarmers and is a highly respected and admired leader of the Australian business community,” he said.

Mr Goyder said his decision to retire at the end of this year had not been easy.

“I continue to enjoy the challenges of leading this outstanding and diverse company and appreciate the opportunities it has given me,” he said.

Mr Scott becomes Wesfarmers’ deputy chief executive immediately and will join the board as managing director at the conglomerate’s general meeting in November.

Rob Scott has been named the next Wesfamers chief executive.

He will maintain his current role as the head of Wesfarmers’ industrials division until the end of June.

Mr Scott, a dual-Olympic rower, started with Wesfarmers in 1993 before leaving to work in investment banking where he had various roles in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in Australia and Asia.

He rejoined Wesfarmers in 2004 going on to head its insurance division and work as finance director at Coles.

Mr Scott said it was a privilege to take over Wesfarmers.

“The Wesfarmers approach to business is ingrained in me and provides our teams with a platform to innovate and develop world class businesses,” he said.

“Building high performing teams and maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation will be my focus as we position the Group for the future.”

Bunnings managing director John Gillam stood down from leading the hardware business late last year amid speculation he had missed out on the top job.

[e-mail]