PwC names Linda Venables first ever Chief Supply Chain Officer
Citing the increased supply chain complexity its clients are now facing, PwC has appointed logistics veteran Linda Venables as its first ever Chief Supply Chain Officer.
A former Chief Logistics Officer for Supermarkets, Liquor and Convenience at Metcash, Venables brings a wealth of logistics and supply chain expertise to her new role at the professional services firm, which will see her advise both external clients and in-house on building resilience in supply chains.
“Across key markets, senior executives are focused now more than ever to understand, invest and better control their supply chains,” said Venables, who will begin her new role in a part-time capacity this month. “In this new role, we intend to provide our clients with the expertise and advice they need to confidently make critical investments and improvements.”
A Masters-holder in Manufacturing Management from Cranfield University (complementing an earlier Bachelor in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Birmingham), Venables has over 35 years of international experience across the retail, consumer goods, industrial and third-party logistics sectors, with business transformations, technology integration and automation deployment among areas of expertise.
In addition to her five and a half years at Metcash to 2019, Venables earlier in her career spent six and a half as a business director at DHL, followed by a further six years in a variety of leadership roles at Woolworths, latterly as Business Development Manager. Most recently she has acted as an independent supply chain consultant, with clients including Woolworths Online, Queensland Health, and PwC.
The latter cited the increasing complexity and volatility around local and international supply chains being experienced by clients as the catalyst for the newly created Chief Supply Chain Officer role, with the firm stating that Venables’ expertise in building resilience, data and systems, automation and managing complex supply chain change ideally positions her to support its teams and clients.
“Many businesses are also facing increasing demand and expectations from their key stakeholders to address ESG issues that arise out of their supply chains,” added PwC’s Supply Chain and Procurement lead partner, Oliver Sargent. “Across the board, we’re seeing a heightened awareness from our clients over the need for optimised supply chain infrastructure, from capability and warehousing to local and international distribution.”
