Pick n Pay appoints former Woolies Food boss as CEO-designate

Pick n Pay has appointed Spencer Sonn as their CEO-designate, set to join the company on February 1, 2027, succeeding CEO Sean Summers in May 2028. Sonn boasts over three decades of retail leadership experience across South Africa and New Zealand, previously serving as the Managing Director (MD) of Woolworths Food during a 26-year tenure at the retailer.

He also held a four-year role as MD of Woolworths New Zealand before transitioning to the position of chief customer officer at Woolworths, where he left at the end of June following a recent reshuffle led by the new CEO, Sam Ngumeni. Notably, Ngumeni had previously managed the Food division at Woolworths before his recent appointment as Group CEO.

Pick n Pay highlights that Sonn's extensive local and international retail experience, combined with his proven leadership skills and profound understanding of the food and grocery sector, make him an ideal candidate to further advance the company's turnaround. The board is confident in Sonn's ability to build upon the significant progress achieved in the group's transformation.

Sonn brings a wealth of retail expertise and a proven track record of leadership during challenging times in New Zealand, particularly valuable considering the similarities between Pick n Pay's operations and those in New Zealand, encompassing both franchise and corporate stores, along with 22,000 employees. Former CEO Sean Summers expressed his admiration for Pick n Pay's values and principles, considering it a privilege to join the brand and a vital business.

He praised Sonn's leadership abilities and commended him for being the architect of much of his former company's food-retailing success. Sonn, for his part, welcomed the challenge with excitement, eager to collaborate closely with Summers and contribute to the company's turnaround. He praised Pick n Pay as a strong, beloved brand with immense potential and a dedicated, motivated workforce.

Both Summers and Sonn noted that one of Summers's key performance indicators during his contract was to identify a successor before his term ended in 2028, providing ample time for Sonn to integrate into his executive role and collaborate with Summers on the company's turnaround.