Case Studies

Metcash

Case Study: Strategic Talent Partnership with Metcash

Overview

Galvin-Rowley Executive has partnered with Metcash, one of Australia’s leading wholesale distribution and marketing companies, to deliver executive search solutions across its diverse business units. Supporting independently owned businesses in the grocery, liquor, and hardware sectors, Metcash operates under a federated model, including Independent Hardware Group (IHG) and Total Tools.

Galvin-Rowley Executive’s involvement has spanned multiple divisions, disciplines, and leadership levels, demonstrating our capability to manage complex, large-scale recruitment projects that align with both strategic transformation and cultural fit across decentralised operations.

The Challenge

Metcash required executive leadership capable of guiding strategic growth, operational excellence, and transformation across multiple brands and markets. Key challenges included:

Appointing senior leaders to drive digital innovation, procurement reform, and business transformation
Addressing diverse leadership requirements across Finance, People & Culture, Marketing, Digital, and Safety
Ensuring cultural alignment within a federated, multi-brand structure
Supporting long-term capability building while navigating organisational change and market complexity

Our Approach

Galvin-Rowley Executive undertook tailored, targeted search assignments for both roles. The process included:

Engaging with key stakeholders to refine the brief and desired candidate profile.
Leveraging an extensive network to identify potential candidates with specific qualifications and leadership experience.
Conducting detailed interviews and assessments to ensure a cultural fit with Dandenong Market’s vision and governance structure.

Our Solution

Galvin-Rowley Executive delivered a highly tailored executive search strategy for each placement, grounded in our deep understanding of Metcash’s strategic imperatives and cultural environment. Our approach included:

Tailored Discovery and Briefing: Deep consultation with key stakeholders across Metcash, IHG, and Total Tools to define success profiles and cultural priorities
Market Mapping and Targeted Research: Leveraging GRE’s 30+ years of experience and networks in retail, FMCG, and industrial sectors to identify high-calibre talent
Candidate Experience and Alignment: Maintaining rigorous assessment and alignment processes, including leadership style, stakeholder fit, and strategic capability
Post-Placement Integration: Supporting onboarding and transition to ensure sustained impact and minimise disruption

Key Placements

Across the Metcash group and its subsidiaries, Galvin-Rowley Executive has delivered the following senior leadership appointments:

Metcash Group

Group General Manager, Procurement & Transformation

Independent Hardware Group (IHG)

Chief Financial Officer
General Manager, Network Transformation
General Manager, FAGGS Mitre 10 – Geelong
General Manager, Marketing
General Manager, Mitre 10 Melbourne
Head of Commercial, Retail Networks
Head of Digital
Head of People & Culture, Queensland
P&C Business Partner, Melbourne
Senior P&C Business Partner, Melbourne

Total Tools

General Manager, People & Culture
People & Culture Manager
Safety, Health and Environment Advisor
Senior P&C Business Partner

These appointments have strengthened strategic capacity, enhanced operational cohesion, and supported enterprise-wide transformation.

The Impact

Galvin-Rowley Executive’s ongoing partnership with Metcash has delivered:

Strategic Transformation: Appointed leaders have driven national initiatives across procurement, digital, and marketing, directly supporting Metcash’s growth agenda
Cultural Cohesion: Galvin-Rowley Executive’s candidate alignment process has ensured leaders fit within both central corporate culture and independent brand identities
Retention and Performance: Galvin-Rowley Executive’s rigorous search methodology has contributed to high retention rates and sustainable leadership continuity
Trusted Advisory Relationship: Galvin-Rowley Executive has built a long-term, consultative relationship with Metcash senior leadership, providing strategic insight and consistent value

Conclusion

Galvin-Rowley Executive’s work with Metcash exemplifies the value of bespoke executive search in complex, multi-brand environments. By aligning leadership talent with strategic direction and cultural nuance, Galvin-Rowley Executive continues to support Metcash’s evolution as a leader in Australian retail and distribution.

Metcash

What Our Clients Say

I first met Jennifer as a candidate. Having touched most of the major search firms as a candidate for executive roles and experienced first-hand their generally low level of candidate care, I have had no hesitation in recommending Jennifer to colleagues who are searching for a new job, or in using her myself as a preferred provider when in need of HR staff.

Mike Johnson

Former HR Director, SKILLED Group

Jen has really invested in understanding our culture and what attributes to look for to ensure a seamless team-fit. In addition, her definition of quality and high-calibre is the same as ours.
That makes life so much easier, and means we are consistently forced to make tough choices at the end of a relatively short recruitment period.
What else could we ask? Highly professional, and a calmly positive influence on us all.

Russell Parker

CEO, Kikki.K
Former CEO, Hallmark International

Galvin-Rowley Executive is a boutique executive placement agency that delivers above and beyond service with integrity to its clients.
The Director, Jennifer Galvin-Rowley, takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and then searches through her amazing network of contacts to find the right people for the right jobs.
Whilst I was CEO of BeyondBlue, Jennifer and her team were a delight to work with and I wouldn’t go anywhere else if I was looking for a key executive.

Dawn O’Neil, AM

Former CEO, BeyondBlue

For nine months we’d searched in vain for a HSE Manager. This was a difficult project: candidates were scarce, our standards were high, and the role was in the country.
When Jen was referred to us, she stood above the other recruiters for three reasons: she dealt in specialist OH&S Managers; she knew how to fill rural roles; and she didn’t advertise—she searched.
Jen approached the task with imagination. Her ideas were unusual, yet so logical. She handled candidates with promptness and respect, and we swiftly found and hired a great fit. I therefore suggest you let Jen recruit your next manager.

Jim Cooper

CEO, Port of Portland

Over the past decade I have engaged Jenny on a number of occasions to source talent across a variety of roles, specifically in HR. She is excellent in her client management as well as her candidate care.
She is responsive to the more challenging assignments and creates a realistic expectation for both the client and her deliverables. Given the service she has provided each time, I have consistently sought her out as a provider and truly value the relationship.