BOARD INSTALLED
Gareth Penny vows to overhaul Edcon
SA’s largest clothing retailer chairman Gareth Penny says the retailer is too important to fail and would be turned around
The newly appointed chairman of Edcon said the retailer was too important to fail and would be turned around. Gareth Penny, who took up the position on Wednesday, said he was "confident we can continue to make progress in recreating a world-class retailer". Penny, the former group CEO of De Beers, said Edcon, which is the largest clothing retailer in SA, had 45,000 employees, 9-million registered customers and was a major player in local malls. "It will be got right," said Penny, who during his tenure at De Beers was instrumental in reshaping the world’s largest diamond company. The other board members are Bernie Brookes, Rhidwaan Gasant, Daphne Motsepe, Marti Murray, Grant Pattison and Keith Warburton. Brookes, who is CEO, is the only executive of the relatively small board. Former Massmart CEO Pattison is the only nonexecutive with any significant retail experience, although it did not involve much exposure to clothing. Walmart has failed to make inroads in the local clothing mark...
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