At the NRA we pride ourselves on being the voice of modern retail. This is reflected not only in our diverse membership that consists of businesses of all shapes and sizes, but also in our personnel.
Last week we added to our already strong leadership team by appointing three esteemed industry figures to our Board. Alice Barbery, Julie Mathers and Antony Moore will bring a wealth of knowledge to our already unrivalled understanding of all aspects of the retail sector.
Ms Barbery is the current CEO and MD of Universal Store, with an industry background and an expertise in training. While Ms Mathers is the founder and CEO of Flora & Fauna, the world’s largest eco store which has been recognised as the top Australian retailer in ecommerce. Finally, Mr Moore is the General Manager for Tabcorp, Australia’s largest retail franchise, and also serves as a Director of the Franchise Council of Australia.
All three bring with them impressive retail CVs that will benefit not only the NRA team I lead, but more importantly each of you. At a time of deep uncertainty, each are strongly connected to the realities of modern retail, including the challenges and opportunities in the Australian retail business environment. I feel confident in saying that I believe that each of our new Board members will make an impressive contribution and I look forward to working with them to advance the interests of retail.
On another note, we have extended nominations for our annual National Retail Awards until 11 June. After COVID forced us to conduct a virtual ceremony in 2020, this year we are heading to the luxurious The Star, Gold Coast, on Friday August 27. Our 2021 theme is ‘The Time Is Now’ as we encourage retailers across Australia to seize the moment and undergo bold initiatives that shape the future of retail.
If you can’t join us in person, I certainly encourage all of you to consider placing a nomination in any of the raft of categories. It’s always important to recognise those who contribute to our industry but even more so this year given the turbulent past 12 months. Further information regarding tickets, nominations and general information associated with the 2021 awards can be found at our dedicated website.
All the best for the week ahead.