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Woolworths Group has established a new executive level leadership role solely dedicated to sustainability, which will drive concerted action across each of the group’s brands and businesses as it works towards its ambitious targets for 2025 and beyond.

Alex Holt, who has overseen the goup’s sustainability portfolio as general manager of Sustainability, Health and Quality since 2016, has been appointed Woolworths Group’s first chief sustainability officer and will join the Group Executive team. 

Holt joined Woolworths Group in 2011 from Tesco where she worked across a number of roles in business improvement, buying and category management. She is also a non-executive director of Foodbank Australia.

“We know the changes we make to become a more sustainable business today will help create a better tomorrow for ourselves and future generations,” said Brad Banducci, Group CEO. 

“To reflect the importance of our sustainability ambitions, we’re delighted to have Alex join our Group executive management team.

“Alex has played a vital role in creating our 2025 Sustainability Plan and will work across the business to deliver on our ambitions.”

Holt's role in developing the Group’s 2025 Sustainability Plan ensured it was also reinforced with the right frameworks to make change across the business at pace.

The new role will help drive Woolworths Group’s sustainability agenda across the entire business and all brands as it works towards its commitments, embedding sustainability in products and operations. 

Partnerships across industry and suppliers will be crucial to many of the group’s product, sourcing and packaging ambitions.

Holt will continue to foster collaboration across the business’ broad partner base to work together on some of the industry’s biggest sustainability challenges.

Following Holt’s new appointment, Woolworths Group is in the process of recruiting a general manager of Quality Assurance and Food Safety.

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