Flybuys shops at The ICONIC for its new CEO

The ICONIC’s chief operating officer Anna Lee is leaving the online retail pioneer to head up loyalty program Flybuys, as its CEO.

Lee commented on the move in a LinkedIn post this morning, stating that the career change is “bittersweet”.

“Flybuys is Australia's favourite loyalty program and I'm looking forward to working with the team to deliver the very best experience for its customers and partners. Thank you to Steven Cain, Rob Scott, Jenny Bryant and the rest of the Board for this appointment,” said Lee.

“It's been a true privilege to have been part of THE ICONIC's journey and I know it will continue to succeed for many more years to come. I will start with the Flybuys team in June so it's not quite goodbye to THE ICONIC for now.”

Lee’s appointment follow’s Flybuys chief executive John Merakovsky’s resignation, who has held the role since February 2019. Flybuy's former chief operating officer Phil Hawkins also retired last year so Lee's appointment represents the start of a significant new chapter for the loyalty group.

Flybuys chairman and Coles Group CEO Steven Cain told The Financial Review, “We very much look forward to welcoming Anna to the team. She has exceptional ecommerce, operations and financial experience in high growth retail environments and a wealth of deep digital experience across omnichannel portfolios.”

Before Lee’s almost eight-year tenure at The ICONIC, where she was chief financial officer, acting CEO and chief operating officer for the last four years, she held senior management positions at National Online Retailers Association (NORA), Groupon, and Adshel. Her early career started in PwC.

Reflecting on her work at the online retailer, Lee noted, “We have inspired millions of customers to a whole new way of shopping, raised the bar in terms of delivery experience and customer service expectations and now offer the market leading assortment in not only Fashion, but also Beauty, Sports, Home and Lifestyle. It's been a true privilege to have been part of THE ICONIC's journey and I know it will continue to succeed for many more years to come.

Wesfarmers managing director and CEO told the AFR, that Flybuys is “looking forward to seeing the business continue to thrive under Anna’s leadership.”