Incoming Metcash Group CEO Doug Jones was appointed a director of Metcash on 11 March and has assumed the day-to-day operational leadership of the company from retiring Group CEO Jeff Adams.
In October last year, Metcash announced that Mr Jones, formally CEO and Senior Vice President of South African-based Massmart Wholesale, would succeed Mr Adams as Group CEO.
This followed earlier advice from Jeff to the Board that he intended to retire from the role.
A highly experienced executive with extensive wholesale, retail and eCommerce experience, Mr Jones has spent the past 14 years with Massmart group, which is majority-owned by Walmart Inc. It has leading market positions in wholesale food, liquor, home improvement and general merchandise.
Mr Jones he headed Massmart Wholesale, which includes ‘big box’ format food, liquor, and general merchandise stores serving retail, commercial and wholesale customers; cash and carry stores; buying groups that service wholesale and independent retail customers; and a number of eCommerce platforms.
He was formerly CEO of Massmart’s Makro SA, a multi-category big box format that sells and distributes food, liquor and general merchandise to a broad range of wholesale, retail and commercial customers. Makro SA also operates one of the largest eCommerce platforms in South Africa.
A qualified Chartered Accountant, Mr Jones has previously held senior finance positions in Makro SA, Amalgamated Beverages Industries Limited and The South African Breweries (all in Johannesburg), CocaCola Enterprises in Canada, and Deloitte in both Canada and South Africa.
Mr Jones joined Metcash on 1 February and has been working closely with Mr Adams to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. Mr Adams remains in place as the retiring Group CEO to support Doug until Jeff’s departure in October 2022.
