Endeavour Group Limited has announced the appointment of Jeanette Fenske as Managing Director of BWS, bringing more than three decades of retail expertise to the role.
Fenske has 35 years’ experience in retail, including more than 20 years in senior leadership roles with South African retail business Clicks Group and Woolworths Group in Australia. She is currently the Director of Stores at Woolworths Supermarkets, overseeing 130,000 team members across 1,100 stores nationwide.
In welcoming the appointment, Endeavour Group Interim Chief Executive Officer Kate Beattie said Fenske’s proven leadership will be a strong asset for the business.
“I am delighted Jeanette is joining Endeavour Group to manage our market-leading BWS business. She is a seasoned retail operator who joined Woolworths almost 10 years ago as Assistant State General Manager, before being promoted to lead the eCommerce Online Operations and Last Mile business in Woolies X. Prior to joining Woolworths, Jeanette spent over a decade in operations and supply chain roles with leading South African retailer Clicks Group.”
Beattie added that Fenske’s track record makes her ideally suited to steer the business into its next stage.
“With a strong retail background and experience in leading transformational change, Jeanette is well placed to lead BWS through its next phase of growth.”
Her appointment comes at a challenging time for the retail division. Endeavour Group’s FY25 results showed retail sales down 1.2 per cent to $10bn, with BWS and Dan Murphy’s both impacted by subdued consumer spending and supply chain disruption during the peak Christmas trading period. While the overall liquor market remains soft due to cost-of-living pressures, Endeavour reported that ultra-convenience channels, particularly popular with Millennials and Gen Z, continue to grow.
Fenske takes over from Scott Davidson, who will step down as Managing Director of BWS at the end of November after more than five years in the role. Davidson will remain through the Christmas trading season to ensure continuity before his formal departure in late 2025.