Woolworths Group has appointed Sean Barrett as its new chief marketing officer, commencing January 2026.
The appointment follows a global search after Andrew Hicks departed the business as CMO in June 2025, moving to Marks & Spencer in the UK.
Barrett joins from Albertsons Companies in the United States, one of the largest grocery retailers in the country, with 2,300 stores in 34 states. As CMO at Albertsons, he led a significant brand and marketing transformation, repositioning its portfolio into a unified, customer-centric platform.
He also brings deep experience in leading performance marketing, customer data, Generative AI, and advanced ROI measurement.
“We are thrilled to bring a global retail leader of Sean’s calibre to Woolworths Group. His track record at Albertsons in unifying brands around the customer and building a data-led marketing function will be critical as we continue to deliver differentiated value and convenience for our customers in an increasingly competitive market,” said Jane Danziger, managing director, CustomerX, Woolworths Group.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the incredible team at Woolies. Woolworths Group has iconic brands and passionate team members that touch the lives of millions of people every single day. I look forward to partnering with the team to deliver differentiated value for customers and accelerate growth into the future,” commented Barrett on his appointment.
In the five months since Hicks’ departure, Michael Laxton, who has been the director of group marketing practice at Woolworths for the previous two-and-a-half years, has been serving as the supermarket giant’s interim CMO.
“I want to extend our thanks to Michael Laxton, who has done an excellent job stepping in as Interim CMO for the past five months and has guided the team through a significant period of change, while also setting our marketing function up for future success.”
