Retail big guns join NORA board
Announcement posted by NORA 20 Mar 2014
Retail big guns join NORA board
New retail association attracts leading Australian talent
- four new retail heavyweights joining NORA board
- new membership packages, benefits introduced
- 2014 tipped to be an "awesome year" for new retail
Sydney, 20 March 2014: Four senior Australian retail industry figures have joined the board of NORA, the leading industry association for New Retail.
Patrick Schmidt (The Iconic), Steve Toth (Dick Smith), Kevin McAulay (Super Retail Group) and Lisa Powell (Amblique) replace four outgoing board members and will join John Winning (Winning Group) and Mark Coulter (ArdenPoint Group).
NORA chairman Paul Greenberg says their depth of experience in bringing traditional brands online shows how retail is evolving.
"These four new members bring NORA a wealth of experience, bridging traditional and New Retail. All have worked extensively with online retail, both with new players as well as getting well-known Australian retailers successfully online. Their presence clearly shows how serious the Australian retail sector is about new retail, and how optimistic we are about the future," Paul Greenberg says.
"I'd also like to give thanks to the guys who joined the board in our foundation year - it's a leap of faith to back any new organisation. We've seen over the past year how much demand there is for NORA's industry leadership in New Retail. Our Foundation Partners, Australia Post, eBay, PayPal, Telstra and Hybris, have also provided key support and inspiration."
New NORA website, membership packages
NORA's new website aims to make it easy for members and anyone interested in New Retail to access industry news and information about events. NORA has also created an industry first, the NORA Talent Network (NTN), a hand-picked group of industry leaders who are NORA’s New Retail ambassadors and provide coaching and mentoring to other members.
To reflect the wide diversity of members, NORA has introduced membership packages that make industry association affordable even for the smallest start ups. From only $99 + GST individuals/sole traders can access NORA's free networking events, member discounts and even free tools. Premium members additionally get free business coaching or mentoring from their choice of the NORA Talent Network, free access to co-working space and are invited to premium networking events.
"We believe an industry association needs go a step further than usual, and actively support its members. After all, their growth represents our growth, and the strength of the whole sector," Paul Greenberg says.
"Mentoring is one way that Australian success stories can give back to the retail community, by sharing insight and ideas. 80% of CEOs polled have stated they have had mentors[1], which has given them insider knowledge and access to power. NORA wants to deliver that to all members," Paul Greenberg says.
Innovative events & networking
NORA is also pioneering innovative and educational member events involving some of Australia's biggest brands, from Australia Post and The Catch Group to Macquarie Group, Optus and GT.
eCommerce Expedition: a luxury bus tour to visit major players in retail and logistics, providing exclusive behind the scenes access to successful retailers
Retail Deep Dive: the latest trends and influences presented by expert speakers, combined with real connective network
Leaders Summit: Camp David-style leadership summit to engage in deeper conversation about the future wellbeing of Australian retail.
2014 - exciting growth ahead
All forecasts point to strong, at least double digit growth for New Retail in 2014. IbisWorld predicts growth of 12.3% this year[2]. PwC and Frost & Sullivan tip a 14.1% compound annual growth rate by 2016, with online retail reaching $26.9 billion[3]. This growth is partly due to a structural shift driven by retailers who are recognising the importance of the customer and investment in technology.
"NORA is passionate about the wellbeing, prosperity and development of Australian retail. Our goal is to help strengthen and champion the Australian retail industry. We are unique in that our membership is a broad and inclusive one – we champion retailers and the key enablers and partners that support them. What unites us is a common desire to play a role in shaping the future of New Retail; a future that is customer-centric, technology-led and borderless," says Paul Greenberg.
New faces on the NORA board
Patrick Schmidt, CEO, The Iconic
A specialist consultant in telecommunication, media, sporting and consumer goods, Patrick Schmidt founded Groupon Australia before heading up leading fashion retailer The Iconic.
Steve Toth, Director of Omni-Channel & Mobility, Australia & New Zealand, Dick Smith
After over a decade consulting to businesses in the telecoms industry, Steve Toth runs the omnichannel and mobility side of Dick Smith, Australia's largest consumer electronics brand.
Kevin McAulay, Group GM Marketing & Comms, Super Retail Group
With a long history in retail including supermarket giants IGA and Franklins, Kevin McAuley now leads marketing for Super Retail Group, one of Australasia’s Top 10 retail organisations where he has brought many brands online.
Lisa Powell, Head of Retail Practice, Amblique
An eCommerce expert with over 14 years experience, Lisa Powell was formerly eBusiness Group Manager at Apparel Group where she brought fashion brands Sportscraft and SABA online.
Continuing NORA board members
John Winning, CEO, Winning Group
Starting on the shop floor, John Winning has transformed his family's century old business into one of Australia's leading white goods and electronics powerhouses by founding Appliances Online
Mark Coulter, Co-founder & Principal, ArdenPoint Group
With a background in consulting, Mark Coulter founded top homewares brand Temple & Webster and ParcelPoint and helps existing early-stage ecommerce startups develop their businesses
About NORA
NORA is the Voice of New Retail. It was founded in 2013 to bring a fresh, balanced and optimistic view of Australia’s retail future. We advocate for a retail renaissance driven by technology and customer centricity, and one which embraces the global opportunity. NORA aims to be a catalyst for collaboration in the sizable retail ecosystem and welcomes all participants in New Retail. Retailers as well as their enablers. This would include technology providers, mobile solutions, payment providers, security solutions, supply chain companies, marketplaces professional services and more.
[1] http://www.management-mentors.com/about/corporate-mentoring-matters-blog/bid/102403/Statistics-Why-having-a-mentor-is-important-for-you-and-for-your-company
[2] http://www.ibisworld.com.au/media/2014/01/13/ibisworld-reveals-industries-set-fly-fall-2014/
[3] http://www.pwc.com.au/onlineshopping/