Greenlit brands has appointed Blaine Callard as the CEO of one of its flagship businesses, Freedom.
Callard has more than 20 years’ experience in retail including a range of operational and strategic roles at the Harvey Norman Group, most recently as CEO of Harvey Norman (Ireland) for the past eight years.
He says he is looking forward to joining such an iconic brand with an enviable heritage built over 38 years.
“I am a firm believer that great retail will always thrive and at the heart of great retail are people,” he enthuses.
“Freedom has a fabulous brand heritage to grow from in this regard with a coveted market position, store footprint, culture and ‘DNA’. I look forward to making a real and meaningful contribution to Freedom.”
Callard brings an impressive track record of retail success to Freedom and parent company Greenlit Brands CEO, Michael Ford, says attracting a retail executive of his calibre is really important for the company.
“We have made significant headway since our rebranding and our refinancing initiatives late last year,” he explains.
“We continue to carefully consider strategic options while methodically implementing key strategic initiatives like this across the group. I look forward to this continuing with Blaine on board.”
In his previous role for Harvey Norman (Ireland), Callard oversaw its successful strategic turnaround with a return to profitability, a strengthening of its gross operating margins and a reinvigoration of its brand in Ireland.
Greenlit Brands’ Group CEO of Household Goods, Debra Singh, says having someone of this calibre is a real coup.
“He will bring a real sense of innovation and drive to Freedom, particularly as the retail sector in our markets continue to evolve and challenge incumbent retailers,” she says.
“Blaine’s appointment to Freedom is a key part of our broader strategy with our household goods division. We are actively supporting and equipping our teams with the right strategies, resources and people to enable them to grow market share across all retail platforms, be they traditional bricks and mortar or digital, to create a seamless customer experience.
“Blaine has a superb track record on this front, most recently from his turnaround of the Harvey Norman brand in Ireland. I look forward to working with him as we take Freedom to the next stage of its evolution.”
Callard will start his new role on 19 August 2019.
