Woolworths promotes Agile boss to manage group transformation

Woolworths has appointed Jason Hair to lead its group transformation following a two-year stint fronting the company's digital transformation and Agile ways of working programs.

Woolworths' Jason Hair (Credit: LinkedIn)

Hair, who has also been instrumental in building out the WooliesX team and its capabilities, revealed his new role last night.

“I have loved my journey with Food Digital and now WooliesX,” Hair said in a LinkedIn post.

“I’m excited to start the next chapter of my career with Woolworths leading our Group Transformation.  

“Hard to say goodbye to WooliesX, my team and [WooliesX managing director] Amanda Bardwell but excited about what’s coming up next.”

A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed the appointment in a statement to iTnews.

“Jason is taking up a new opportunity within the Woolworths customer transformation team as general manager - transformation,” the spokesperson said.

“Reporting to Von Ingram, chief customer transformation officer, in his new role Jason will take the lead on creating alignment between the strategy and deployment of transformation programs.

“He will start with the group customer transformation team in early September.”

Late last year, Hair detailed Woolworths’ approach to implementing Agile new ways of working, which differed from previously unsuccessful attempts.

Hair said that WooliesX was being used as a vehicle to help drive Agile properly throughout the group.

The company used the tribal Agile model pioneered by Spotify, albeit “Woolified” somewhat to suit the retailer’s own purposes.

“We’re moving to an agile organisation across the group,” he said.

“We have a two-speed economy within Woolworths - we’ve got agile delivery which is WooliesX and now we’ve got agile organisation.”

It was unclear at the time of publication whether a replacement would be recruited into Hair’s general manager of digital transformation and Agile role.