Former MyDeal CMO and marketing chief of its MarketPlus offering, Ryan Gracie, has been promoted to the new role of chief customer and revenue officer of Woolworth‘s Big W following MyDeal’s closure announced last month.
Gracie was chief marketing officer for MyDeal for the past four years, before Woolies made the decision last month to shut down the MyDeal website by September.
All marketplace offerings across the group will be consolidated into Big W Market and Everyday Market on the Woolworths website.
Just three years ago, Woolies spent $243m to buy online marketplace MyDeal under former chief executive Brad Banducci.
The deal was widely disliked by shareholders and analysts, given the fierce competition in online marketplaces.
As reported in the AFR, the closure of MyDeal will cost Woolworths almost $100 million, which includes acquiring the remaining equity stake of the marketplace’s founder, Sean Senvirtne. Redundancies have also been flagged.
Gracie took to LinkedIn on Thursday to share the news of his new appointment, calling it “the most significant step” in his career journey.
Gracie’s new position also follows the departure of Big W marketing director, Vanessa Rowed, to take up the CMO role at Yum! Brands. She officially commenced with the QSR group in July.
“I’m incredibly excited and humbled to announce that I’ve commenced my new role as chief customer and revenue officer at BIG W. This is an immense privilege, and I’m eager to contribute to a brand that is so deeply woven into the fabric of Australian family life,” he stated. “My career path has always been guided by some simple principles: Surround myself with exceptional people and learn from them, remain curious, seek discomfort, create value and keep moving forward. Today marks the most significant step yet on that path,” Gracie said.
Gracie had a five-year stint as CMO of Catch Group, another marketplace that has since been closed.
Gracie has also held senior marketing and communications roles with retailers including Funtastic and JB Hi-Fi, and has worked in general management for the likes of WIN Corporation and APN Online.
