Liquor group revamps management

NATIONAL retailer Australian Liquor Group has revamped its management team after a difficult first quarter following its float and the amalgamation of around 40 stores earlier this year.

Former WA Liquor Stores Association executive director Hilary White has been drafted in as general manager operations to ALG’s Melbourne headquarters, a position created after the company recorded lower than forecast first quarter sales.

Recent stock exchange records show RMG Pty Ltd, a company owned by Goundrey Wines chief Jack Bendat and his wife Eleanor, is the third largest ALG shareholder with about 6.4 per cent of the company.

ALG sales were $21.3 million across about 40 stores, 21 of which were in WA. The company has bought about five stores, mainly in NSW and one in South Australia, during the past five months to take store numbers to 43.

Mr White said the first quarter had been difficult, but blamed the result on delays to the float which took place in June, about two months after the group had intended listing.

“We did not get the systems bedded down before June 30,” he said.

Mr White was confident everything was now in place to capitalise on the important Christmas period.

Mr White is joined at head office by a new chief financial officer, David McLaughlan after the departure of Sam Kronje in August.

The management change has not been isolated to Melbourne.

Former chief of a Victorian supermarket chain Frank Maddicks has been appointed WA state manager to replace Aldo Anza who quit the group last month to take a break over summer.

Mr Anza also played a significant part in recruiting stores to the group, particularly in WA which forms about half the ALG business.

It trades in WA under the original Knox brand and the Philip Murphy brand of chief executive officer Phillip Murphy who vended his Melbourne chain into the float.