WES - what's next?, page-56

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bu...s/news-story/af6b22c016b98bc03934ccfca7dc7825

Australia Post consumer boss Nicole Sheffield jumps ship to Wesfarmers

Nicole Sheffield, second from right, and other female execs with Christine Holgate in 2018. Picture: Julian Kingma

• MELISSA YEO
  MARGIN CALL COLUMNIST
  
  CHRISTINE LACY
  SENIOR REPORTER, MARGIN CALL COLUMNIST
  
• 5:34AM AUGUST 10, 2021

The executive ranks of Australia Post are shaping up to be a happy hunting ground for the nation’s corporates in the wake of its months-long leadership saga, with head of consumer and community at the postal service, Nicole Sheffield said to be the latest to jump ship.

Sheffield, who joined the postal service from News Corp three years ago and was at one stage mooted as a replacement for ousted boss Christine Holgate, is said to be making a return to the listed market, in a newly created digital data role reporting directly to Rob Scott at Wesfarmers.

The move by Sydney-based Sheffield comes after Margin Call last week revealed retention bonuses as high as $250,000 were being doled out to executives by chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo to stop the exodus of talent.

Word is Sheffield wasn’t a party to such a lucrative scheme, unlike her colleague Rod Barnes.

Illustration: Rod Clement

Fitting then that she is headed out the door – her final day is slated for late October, before starting with Wesfarmers in November, though she’ll remain put in the Harbour City.

Details of the new managing director role are scarce, except that it’s an express move by Scott to focus on data at the retail conglomerate. The role will oversee digital for the whole group, which includes Bunnings, Kmart and Target.

“This is a new role for Wesfarmers, reflecting the strategic importance and growth potential of our data and digital strategies, and Nicole will work in close partnerships with the divisions,” a spokesman for the group told Margin Call.

Sheffield, too, is no stranger to controversy when it comes to Post. She was one of several high level executives called in to give Pauline Hanson a tour of its Brisbane operations last year, which became the subject of intense scrutiny before Senate estimates.
Good thing such public probes will probably be off her remit in any new role, and heightened scrutiny of her pay packet will likely ease too.
Such is the life after working for a government business enterprise.


While leaving one public role though, she’ll still retain her close links to the Department of Communications and minister Paul Fletcher in her role as chair of the ABC’s advisory board, appointed by Ita Buttrose last year.
When it comes to Post though, her replacement will likely be a key matter for incoming chief executive Paul Graham, who joins in September.
At the current rate, any HR expertise he holds is set to be more useful at the group than just his supply chain experience.