A shockwave has gone through the retail industry with the unexpected resignation of Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO, Paul Zahra.
With the upcoming merger of ARA and the National Retail Association (NRA), Zahra says it is the perfect time to leave after nearly five years at the helm.
“As the ARA progresses to amalgamate with the National Retail Association—a professional goal I have long advocated for—I believe I’ve completed what I set out to do for the industry,” he says.
“It’s now time for me to reset and refresh for new challenges and pass the baton to a successor who will lead the new entity into the future.”
ARA president Nicole Sheffield adds that during the past five years, Zahra has worked hard with the ARA council and ARA team to build the association and the retail sector brand to a strong position of profile, power and political influence.
“We’ve set the political agenda on many fronts, from positive changes to closing loopholes and other reforms to improvements to retail crime legislation alongside leading events and many other industry initiatives,” she says.
“Thanks to Paul’s leadership, the foundations are in place for a powerful future.”
Indeed, this has been the most disrupted decade for retail in recent history, navigating the pandemic and global cost of living crunch, intense labour shortages, an unprecedented retail crime wave, supply chain disruption and the most intense set of industrial relations changes in decades.
“I am deeply proud that despite these challenges we stabilised the ARA’s financial position, turning it around from a financial risk to a position of historic financial security. Thanks to the incredible work of our team, the ARA council, our loyal members and ARA partners, the ARA now stands as a leading business association and powerful body for retail,” Zahra says.
Zahra will remain in the role until the end of the year.
