Gail Kelly joins Woolworths Holdings board

South Africa’s Woolworths Holdings has named former Westpac boss Gail Kelly as a non-executive director.

South African retailer Woolworths Holdings, which last year bought up-market department store David Jones for $2.2 billion, has appointed former Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly as a non-executive director.

Mrs Kelly, who was born in South Africa, will be a director of Woolworths Holdings from October 1, putting her on the board of one of the biggest retailers in the southern hemisphere with a large retail footprint in Africa and a growing business in Australia through its ownership of David Jones and fashion label Country Road.

Over the past 13 years, Mrs Kelly has served as the group chief executive officer and managing director of two banks in Australia — St George Bank from 2002 to 2007 and Westpac from 2008 to 2015.

In 2008, the two banks merged under Mrs Kelly’s leadership in what was the largest in-market merger in Australian financial services. At the time of her retirement in February this year from Westpac, that group was the country’s second largest bank and the 12th largest bank in the world, in terms of market capitalisation.

“I am very pleased to accept Woolworths Holdings chairman Simon Susman’s invitation to join the board,” Mrs Kelly said today.

“Growing up in South Africa, I have always had a love for the Woolworths brand, and while in Australia, I have closely observed its growth path, including the acquisitions of Country Road and David Jones. I am looking forward to working with my fellow directors and the Woolworths team, both in South Africa and in Australia, to assist them on their ambition of becoming a leading southern hemisphere retailer.”

Mr Susman said Woolworths was thrilled to have Mrs Kelly join the board.

“It is a real honour to have a world class mind such as Gail’s to help us navigate the fast moving environment of global retail,” he said.

“After decades at the top of the corporate ladder in both of our major markets, I look forward to seeing the value her experience and perspective will bring to our group.”