Woolworths Group

Today is R U OK? Day and our teams are sporting yellow, hosting an R U OK? Day panel and raffle as well as celebrating with team lunches to show their support. This year’s theme is ‘Any Day’ - a reminder to ask family, friends and fellow team members R U OK? Any day of the year because a conversation could change a life. Today especially, we encourage team members to complete our ‘I Am Here Training’ on our SuccessFactors platform to gain the skills and confidence to have a conversation with someone that may be struggling. We have a range of wellbeing initiatives available to our team, including Sonder which gives our team and their families access to free, confidential 24/7 medical, safety, and wellbeing support. Remember, it's OK not to be OK and absolutely OK to ask for help. We all have moments when we could use a little extra support. That's why we're here for each other, as a community that cares. Together, we can make a difference. Below are some of our teams across the group who came together to recognise the importance of this day. Healthylife Good Shepherd Services Bupa

Meet Stephen Ward, our Heritage Centre manager and curator, who celebrates 51 remarkable years with Woolworths Group. Stephen started his Woolworths tenure at 15 as a casual sales assistant at the Caringbah Variety Store in New South Wales on December 13, 1973. More than five decades later, he is still filled with the same sense of passion and pride when he puts on his name badge. “Woolworths is my home away from home,” says Stephen. “It's a place where my friends and colleagues are. It's a place where we genuinely try to do our best for our team, our customers and our stakeholders every single day.” A highlight of Stephen’s career was being appointed store manager of the Bowral Variety Store at the age of 21, relocating his young family from Sydney to the NSW regional town in the Southern Highlands to take up the post. His passion and dedication was rewarded with multiple store manager appointments across the state, before he completed his Masters of Commerce and moved into senior leadership roles in many areas of the business. Even retirement in 2018 couldn’t keep Stephen away. He now manages the Heritage Centre, which houses a meticulously-curated tapestry of Woolworths’ rich history from the past 100 years. As Woolworths approaches a centennial milestone, Stephen says he is most proud of Woolworths Group’s long-standing partnerships and genuine, wide-reaching contributions to Australian communities over the past 100 years. “We've probably created in excess of five million jobs,” he says. “We created jobs right through the Great Depression and actively supported Australia’s war effort during WWII. “When we've had floods, bushfires, cyclones, we are there. We’ve provided careers, traineeships, apprenticeships and employment opportunities … and that's why we have 16,000 current and former Team Members in our 25-Year Club. “I am proud to have been able to coach, mentor and provide development opportunities for people at a personal and professional level in our business. It has been a privilege seeing them grow and flourish in their careers.” We are so lucky to have you, Stephen!

We’re proud to be the Platinum partner of the Supply Nation Connect, Australia’s largest event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. This year’s event took place in Meanjin, QLD, last week and it was a wonderful opportunity for our team to connect with many of our partners, make new connections and learn from one another. The trade event celebrates the power of supplier diversity - a key strategic priority for Woolworths Group.  We look forward to next year's event and continuing to support the growth of First Nations businesses. KULBARDI Adam Bray Jane Danziger Rob McCartney

We are thrilled to be awarded the Best Health & Wellbeing Program award alongside the University of South Australia and The University of Queensland for Project WERC at the 2024 Australian Workplace Health & Safety Awards which took place in Sydney last week. We’re very proud of Project WERC (Workplace Engagement Respect and Care), an evidence-based program to prevent bullying and build a healthy workplace culture, and our partnership with the University of South Australia and The University of Queensland. Implemented in Woolworths Supermarkets stores, Project WERC demonstrated a significant reduction in bullying in trial locations. The success of Project WERC serves as a model for broader organisational change and setting a new standard in workplace health and wellbeing. We remain committed to providing a safe and engaging place to work for all our teams. Australian Institute of Health & Safety Jane Bourke Jason Fowler Yiqiong Li Gorjana Borojevic Hayley Baxendale Jessica Digby Ilana Nathan Aaron Davis Annabelle Neall Michelle Tuckey

For team member Demi Herder, STEPtember is more than just a fundraising campaign, it’s “a chance to celebrate the disability community and connect with incredible people who understand the challenges and triumphs of living with cerebral palsy”. Demi, who works as a Workplace Support Specialist at our International office, based in Hong Kong, was born with spastic cerebral palsy. “I’ve learned to accept this part of myself and navigate life’s twists and turns with it,” says Demi. “My cerebral palsy has taught me the importance of advocating for inclusivity and breaking down barriers to create a world where everyone can thrive.” For the month of September, hundreds of Woolworths Group team members are stepping up to raise money that will go towards vital equipment, therapy and services to children and adults living with cerebral palsy and further research and innovative technologies. “Seeing our team members step up for STEPtember is a powerful reminder that we're truly better together,” says Demi. “Their contributions, no matter how big or small, create a ripple effect of positive change for people with cerebral palsy and the wider disability community.” You can find out more about STEPtember here: https://lnkd.in/gPk6nd9

After more than eight years as our CEO, today we say thank you to Brad Banducci as he hands over to our incoming Group CEO Amanda Bardwell. Before becoming CEO, Brad worked across our then liquor business, before being appointed MD of Woolworths Food Group in 2015. He was appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Woolworths Group in 2016. Our business was very different back then. eCommerce was in its early stages and the wider ecosystem of the Group we have today was nothing more than an aspiration. In all of that time, what hasn’t changed is Brad’s dedication and passion for serving the millions of customers who shop with us every week and championing our team to do the same. His focus on service and care is what drives the more than 200,000 team members across Australia and New Zealand to always do the very best for the communities we serve. Today, as we enter our 100th year,  Brad leaves behind a stronger, more sustainable and forward looking Woolworths Group. From all of the team across Woolworths Group, thank you Brad for making us Better Together. Woolworths Supermarkets Woolworths New Zealand BIG W Primary Connect Cartology - Part of the Woolworths Group PFD Food Services Pty Ltd Petstock Healthylife Woolworths Group International Woolworths at Work Quantium MILKRUN

Meet Ambika Malvia and Vikram Kotibhaskar, passionate home cooks who went from selling their authentic Indian meal kits at Sydney farmers’ markets to being ranged in Woolworths Supermarkets across the nation through Seedlab Australia, a Woolworths Group-funded small business incubator and accelerator program. “Seedlab was transformational for our business,” says Ambika. “In six years, SpiceCraft has grown from just a little idea between Vikram and I to now being ranged in 400 Woolworths stores. None of this would’ve been possible without Seedlab and Woolworths Group. They helped transform our business in unimaginable ways, beyond our wildest dreams.” Seedlab provides training, mentorship and unique opportunities for small, local and regional founders, like Ambika and Vikram, and their Fast-Moving Consumer Goods businesses throughout Australia and New Zealand. The free program, which recently received an additional $7 million in funding over three years from Woolworths Group, gave the couple the skills, confidence and knowledge to upscale their business. “To make a decision to stock a product that's developed by a family business and then to range it throughout almost half their stores nationwide, changes the face of small business,” says Seedlab Australia’s CEO and co-founder, Hazel MacTavish-West. “Our partnership with Woolworths Group is everything because it comes with financial support, and it comes with real support and mentorship that money can’t buy. It’s priceless.” Read more about Ambika and Vikram’s inspiring story here: https://lnkd.in/gHKjMzMV

As we enter into the 100th year of our Group, and the final year of our Sustainability Plan 2025, we’re proud to have delivered over $580 million in estimated net societal benefit through investments in health, hunger relief, decarbonisation and circularity. We thank our team, suppliers, customers and communities who have partnered with us to progress towards our sustainability ambitions. While we’ve achieved a lot, we know there is much more to do. You can read our full 2024 sustainability report here: https://lnkd.in/gaRkbBAZ

Today marks the start of an important countdown for our Group – 100 days until our 100th birthday on 5 December.  In 1924, we opened our first store in Pitt St, Sydney – Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement. From our one store in 1924 to today, where we have over 1000 stores, Woolworths Group remains committed to our purpose of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow.  We look forward to continuing to serve communities across Australia and New Zealand with a range of brands and businesses for another 100 years! Woolworths Supermarkets BIG W

For team member Caitlin Cuomo, Wear it Purple Day later this week holds a very special place in her heart. “It's a reminder that there are safe spaces in this world where I can truly be myself,” says Caitlin, who started 12 years ago at Woolworths Supermarkets on the checkouts and now works in our support office as a category specialist. Caitlin credits Woolworths for giving her the space to grow both personally and professionally. "In 2017, I finally found the courage to be myself; to embrace my identity as a lesbian," she says. "The support I received from colleagues and the leadership team was incredible. They made me feel safe, accepted and loved." Woolworths is also where she met the love of her life, Jodie. "We tied the knot in a Woolies-themed wedding in 2021," says Caitlin. "It was a day filled with laughter, love and a whole lot of Woolies spirit." Now, the happy couple share a one-year-old and have another little one on the way. "We could not be happier with our lives as working mums for Woolworths Group," says Caitlin. "Woolworths has given me so much – amazing career opportunities, personal growth and most importantly, the love of my life and a family to call my own.” Wear it Purple Day is a significant day for the LGBTQ+ community and an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ young people. This year marks the ninth year Woolworths Group has come together to celebrate and acknowledge the diversity of our team as we continue to strive to create a feeling of belonging where everyone feels valued, respected and can be their best self.