Woolworths imports US retail exec for top marketing job

Woolworths has hired US retail marketing executive Sean Barrett to unify its marketing as it readies to rebuilds consumer trust and fight back against rival Coles.

Woolworths has appointed a new chief marketing officer, importing a US retail marketing executive to steer the supermarket businesses’ embattled brand.

Sean Barrett will assume the role in January, after relocating from the US where he was the CMO at US food and drug retail giant Albertsons Companies, which includes the Safeway and Vons supermarket brands. He spent ten years with the retail business and worked for Procter & Gamble prior to this.

Mr Barrett replaces Woolworths long-serving marketing chief Andrew Hicks, who departed the company in June after 16 years to join UK retail giant Marks & Spencer.

His appointment highlights the transformative approach that Woolworths is taking to its marketing, following the brand’s fall from grace in the local market. Woolworths brand trust has plummeted in recent years as claims of price gouging saw it drop from being one of the nation’s most trusted brands in 2022 and 2023 to the most distrusted in 2025.

Mr Barrett will play a pivotal role in the supermarket giant’s turnaround following its disappointing first quarter sales results last month, which were trounced by rival Coles with its best result in 20 years.

His role will sit within the CustomerX division, which incorporates marketing and strategy and he will report into Woolworths Group managing director of CustomerX Jane Danziger.

Ms Danziger said in a statement: “[Mr Barrett’s] track record at Albertsons in unifying brands around the customer and building a data-led marketing function will be critical as we continue to deliver differentiated value and convenience for our customers in an increasingly competitive market.”

Woolworths interim CMO Michael Laxton will assume a newly created role as head of customer AI within the Customer X team, where he will be tasked with bringing together customer and AI across the marketing department.