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Christine Holgate

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Christine Holgate
Born1963 or 1964 (age 60–61)
Cheshire, England
NationalityBritish, Australian
EducationUniversity of North London
OccupationBusinesswoman
TitleCEO of Team Global Express
SpouseMichael Harding

Christine Holgate (born 1963/1964) is a British-Australian business executive who is the chief executive of Team Global Express, having held similar roles at Australia Post and Blackmores. She was the first woman to be named as the "CEO of the Year" by CEO Magazine, in 2015.

She came to media attention in 2020, while at Australia Post, for having purchased Cartier watches for senior management executives. After being grilled by a Senate committee and being pressured into resigning by prime minister of Australia Scott Morrison, an independent investigation later reported that she had done nothing wrong.

Early life and education

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Christine Holgate was born in 1964 or 1965 in England.[1] She grew up with her four siblings,[2] in Cheshire, England.[3][4] Holgate's father was an entrepreneur and ran a construction company.[2] From when she was young, her father insisted that she run “little businesses” to earn her pocket money.[2][5] When Holgate was 15, she cleaned windows with a friend and had a van selling ice–creams.[5]

By the time Holgate turned 18 in 1982, she left Cheshire for London.[1] In London, Holgate met Florence Knight, who financially supported her to pursue a business degree at the University of North London.[1] Holgate has three post-graduate diplomas in management, marketing, and purchasing and supply.[6] She gained her diploma in management in 1986 and completed her Master of Business Administration degree in 1991.[1]

Career

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Early career

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Holgate first worked as postwoman for the Christmas season when she was 18.[7] After graduating from university, she worked for Allied Healthcare and BBC News.[8] In 1988, she joined the telecommunication company Cable & Wireless and started her international career.[9] During her 12 years at Cable & Wireless, Holgate directed the company’s marketing department,[9] and conducted projects across Caribbean, Europe and Hong Kong.[8][10] In 2000, Holgate joined J.P. Morgan as the "Managing Director of Marketing" of its European subsidiary.[8][10][11] She was the only woman in J.P. Morgan's executive team in Europe during her incumbent period.[8] Holgate worked for J.P. Morgan for 18 months before joining telecommunications company Energis in May 2001, as the Group Director of Strategy and Marketing.[8][10] Her job was to lead the Energis strategy and planning teams in Europe, and monitor its marketing activities.[10]

In November 2002, Holgate received a job invitation from David Thodey, the group managing director of Telstra Mobiles,[1][8][12][13] and became the marketing director.[8] While she continued to lead its marketing team, Holgate's role was expanded into building Telstra's business sales and managing the operations of its channels.[8][14]

Blackmores

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In 2008, Holgate left Telstra to join health supplements company Blackmores[12][15] as chief executive officer and managing director.[15] Her sister's death from cancer spurred her to join the company.[3][8][16][17]

Within her first two months, Holgate identified that Blackmores operations in Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan were neglected.[18] In 2009, she appointed Peter Osborne to direct Blackmores business in Asia and minimise the entry barriers.[16][18][19] Osborne had worked in Asia for more than 20 years before his appointment.[18] From 2008 to April 2012, Holgate increased Blackmores' annual sales to $234 million.[8] The company increased its profits from the Thai and Malaysian markets, and prepared to enter the Chinese market.[8] The profits from the Asian market accounted for nearly 25% of Blackmores' profits.[8]

In 2011, Holgate was confronted by a crisis related to a deal between Blackmores and The Pharmacy Guild of Australia.[8] Under the deal, pharmacists "would be prompted to promote" Blackmores health supplements to their patients during the prescription process.[8][20] The proposal of Blackmores caused "national outrage" and the "strong level of public concern".[20] Holgate was criticised for referring the deal as a "Coke and fries" option.[8][20] She explained the phrase was quoted out of context, having said that the proposal "would add the "Coke and fries" to the prescribed medication, and provide pharmacies with a "new and important revenue stream".[8] She conceded that linking medicine with junk food "was highly unfortunate".[8]

In 2014, Holgate was one of the only 20 business leaders invited to that year's 2014 G20 Brisbane summit.[21][22][23] To help increase sales of Blackmores in the Chinese market, she was photographed with the president of China Xi Jinping and Australian prime minister Tony Abbott.[23] At that time, Blackmores' Chinese sales were under $1million, while the required capital for labour and marketing was around $10 million.[23][24] Her picture with the two leaders was widely circulated in China and helped attract local consumers.[25] At the end of 2014-15, Blackmores sales in the Chinese market increased to $50 million and they reached $500 million in 2015-16.[23] In September 2015, Blackmores joined the ASX200 index, comprising the top 200 most prominent companies in Australia,[26] and Christine Holgate was named the first female CEO of the Year in November.[27][28]

During Holgate’s nine years at Blackmores, its share price rose from $18 to $90 and peaked at $220 in 2016.[3] Holgate had transformed Blackmores, a member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN),[29] into the major health supplement exporter to Asia.[30]

Australia Post

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Holgate resigned from Blackmores in 2017 to become CEO of Australia Post,[31][32][33][34] the first woman in that role.[4][30] Her appointment came as Australia Post began to position itself as the leading Australian e-commerce postal delivery service.[35] Her job was to manage the modernisation of Australia Post’s logistics system and its 33,000 workforce.[36] Holgate had no previous experience in managing logistics systems.[36] Her appointment was partly based on her strategic ability to exploit the potentials in the Asian markets and enhance the business profitability.[36][37] She also had direct experience as a Christmas postal worker while a student in North London.[7][30]

Holgate visited branches across Australia to meet postal employees and noticed the scepticism of the workforce.[1] Before her arrival, Australia Post had divided its business into two product lines, the profitable transport and logistics operation StarTrack and the traditional postal service.[1] After consulting staff, Holgate received agreement to unify the two businesses,[38] which was done preserving traditional red livery and name Australia Post.[1]

In 2018, Holgate launched the "Everyone Matters" promotion, an advertising campaign supporting postal workers and post offices in regional areas.[1] The net promoter score increased over 30 percent in six months.[1] She also tackled the trust problems of employees and launched an "equal pay for equal work" campaign.[1] She invested $300 million to upgrade parcel processing systems using automation and tracking devices.[1] She restructured the Australia Post's executive team to align with her customer-oriented and Asian-focused strategies.[39][40]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Holgate had to deal with a number of problems at Australia Post, including significant delays and cuts in service,[41][42] allegations of the intrusive surveillance of staff,[43] the planned payment of executive bonuses at a time when public servants were expected to take pay cuts,[44] a bipartisan Senate committee accusing Holgate of attempting to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of Australia Post,[45] and Holgate's personal intervention in the attempted delivery of Pauline Hanson's One Nation-branded stubby holders to locked-down public housing towers in Melbourne after Hanson made inflammatory comments about tower residents.[46]

Further controversy arose when Holgate revealed at an appearance before a Senate committee on 22 October 2020 that Australia Post had purchased four Cartier watches valued approximately around $20,000 in total as gifts for senior management executives who secured a lucrative deal with three Australian banks. Communications minister Paul Fletcher announced an investigation into Australia Post and asked Holgate to step aside as CEO. During question time in the House of Representatives that day, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that if Holgate wished not to stand aside then she could go.[47] On 2 November 2020, she offered her resignation, stating that she would not seek financial compensation.[48] A subsequent report by law firm Maddocks, commissioned by the government, found that no specific policy that would support provision of Cartier watches had been identified, and that there was no evidence of fraud or corruption.[49]

Toll

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In May 2021, Holgate was appointed CEO of Toll Global Express.[50]

Other roles and memberships

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Holgate is or was an inaugural chair of the board of the Australia-ASEAN Council.[21][6][51] She was one of 20 business leaders invited to the 2014 G20 Brisbane summit.[21][22]

As of 2024 Holgate is a board member of the Collingwood Football Club.[52]

Awards and recognition

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In 2011, Holgate won a Chief Executive Women scholarship and attended the Women's Leadership Forum at the Harvard Business School.[53]

In 2015, Holgate won the "Women in Leadership" award at the Australian Growth Company Awards.[54]

In October 2015, Holgate was named one of the "100 Women of Influence" in Australia by the Australian Financial Review.[21]

In November 2015, Holgate was awarded "Australian CEO of the Year" by The CEO Magazine,[55][27][56] the first woman to win the award.[28] In 2016, Holgate was runner-up in the Australian CEO of the Year award.[57]

In 2019, Holgate received the Sir Charles McGrath award from the Australian Marketing Institute.[58]

Personal life

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In January 2016, Holgate married Michael Harding, the chairman of the Downer Group,[2][1] in Aldeburgh, England.[1][16][59] She has a close relationship with her nephews Brian and Eddie, the sons of Holgate's late sister, Elizabeth,[16] which was the reason for the wedding being held in England.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Durkin, P. (11 October 2018). "Australia Post's Christine Holgate is on a mission to win back trust". Australian Financial Review.
  2. ^ a b c d Lehmann, M. (26 August 2017). "Can Christine deliver". The Australian. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Durkin, Patrick; Evans, Simon (28 June 2017). "It's not the money, says new post chief". The Australian Financial Review. ProQuest 1913815797.
  4. ^ a b Battersby, L.; Dunckley, M. (27 June 2017). "Australia Post appoints Christine Holgate chief executive". Sydney Morning Herald.
  5. ^ a b Edwards, Verity (3 December 2016). "Q & A - Christine Holgate, 52, Blackmores CEO". The Weekend Australian Magazine. ProQuest 1845260357.
  6. ^ a b "Christine Holgate". Women for Media. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Christine Holgate named as Australia Post CEO". Sky News Australia. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Steffens, M. (6 April 2012). "Medicine woman is just the tonic". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  9. ^ a b Luxner, L. (15 September 1998). "Hang-ups over international phone rate accounting". JOC.
  10. ^ a b c d Kleinman, M. (28 June 2001). "Energis hire ex-C&W boss for top group role". Campaign. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  11. ^ Beattie, Alan; Wood, Lisa (11 August 2000). "J.P. Morgan hires hakim People on the move". Financial Times. ProQuest 249011980.
  12. ^ a b Priestley, A. (22 March 2018). "'Passion & purpose can beat skills': Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  13. ^ Cutler, T. (2000). "Back to the Future". Media International Australia Incorporating Culture and Policy. 96 (1): 11–15. doi:10.1177/1329878X0009600104. S2CID 220268411.
  14. ^ Sainsbury, M. (12 December 2003). "Telstra revamp to cut IT losses". The Australian. Factiva.
  15. ^ a b "Blackmores appoints CEO". Australian Company News Bites. Factiva. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. ^ a b c d e Urban, Rebecca (3 December 2015). "Cracking China - chief executive women special edition". The Australian. ProQuest 1738335929.
  17. ^ "Blackmores opens first wellbeing store". The Australian Pharmacist. 35 (1): 75. 2016.
  18. ^ a b c Gardner, J. (10 March 2016). "Christine Holgate and Marcus Blackmore: the team behind Blackmores stellar performance". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  19. ^ Evans, S. (27 June 2017). "Blackmores set to pluck new CEO from inside". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  20. ^ a b c "Pharmacy supplement deal dropped". Australian Nursing Journal. 19 (5): 5. 2011. Gale A273279384.
  21. ^ a b c d "100 Women of Influence". Australian Financial Review. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  22. ^ a b Waters, Cara (27 May 2019). "In her own words: Christine Holgate's tale of the G20 photo that changed Blackmores' fortunes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  23. ^ a b c d Waters, C. (26 May 2019). "The remarkable photo with Xi Jinping that helped Blackmores crack China". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  24. ^ Murray, L. (15 April 2016). "Blackmore's Christine Holgate is a reminder of how hard it is to crack China market". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  25. ^ Smith, M. (5 June 2019). "Jack Ma interview makes AFR journo famous". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  26. ^ Pash, Chris (29 October 2015). "BLACKMORES EXPLODES: Shares breach $200..." Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Christine Holgate - CEO of Blackmores". The CEO Magazine. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  28. ^ a b Hoklas, Skye (14 July 2019). "What do Gina Rinehart, Christine Holgate and Shelley Sullivan have in common?". The CEO Magazine. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  29. ^ LeDoux, M. A.; Appelhans, K. R.; Braun, L. A.; Dziedziczak, D.; Jennings, S.; Liu, L.; Osiecki, H.; Wyszumiala, E.; Griffiths, J. C. (2015). "A quality dietary supplement: before you start and after it's marketed—a conference report". European Journal of Nutrition. 54 (1): S1-8. doi:10.1007/s00394-014-0827-4. ISSN 1436-6215. PMC 4305087. PMID 25579377.
  30. ^ a b c Korporaal, Glenda (28 June 2017). "Holgate's red letter day". The Australian. ProQuest 1913923678.
  31. ^ Evans, Simon (18 August 2017). "Blackmores hires from within for new CEO". The Australian Financial Review. ProQuest 1929451945.
  32. ^ Evans, Simon (13 October 2017). "Ex - Blackmores boss rakes in $3.5m". The Australian Financial Review. ProQuest 1950024355.
  33. ^ Tay, C. (26 June 2017). "Blackmores CEO Christine Holgate quits to run Australia Post". NutraIngredients-Asia.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Australia Post names Christine Holgate as new CEO, replacing Ahmed Fahour - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  35. ^ Evans, S. (17 August 2017). "Blackmores appoints Richard Henfrey as CEO to replace Christine Holgate". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  36. ^ a b c Knight, E. (27 June 2017). "From pills to post: meet Australia's most important woman, Christine Holgate". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  37. ^ Boyd, T. (27 June 2017). "Blackmores CEO Christine Holgate can handle Australia Post's challenges". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Christine Holgate on what matters". PressReader. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  39. ^ Durkin, P. (27 February 2018). "Australia Post profit boosted by Sydney GPO sale, Christmas parcels, SSM survey". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  40. ^ Marin-Guzman, D.; Durkin, P. (31 January 2018). "Australia Post senior executives miss out in major restructure". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  41. ^ "Australia Post: Father's Day delays hit as pandemic profits prompt service cuts questions". The New Daily. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  42. ^ "Australia Post on track to break delivery records". ABC News. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  43. ^ "'Highly irregular': Australia Post discloses security program". The Age. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  44. ^ "AusPost execs may still get $7m in bonuses despite promising to take pay cut". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Australia Post boss lashed over 'lack of understanding' of Senate scrutiny". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  46. ^ "Pauline Hanson stubby holders throw heat at Australia Post boss". The New Daily. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  47. ^ Hitch, Georgia; Borys, Stephanie (22 October 2020). "Australia Post CEO stands aside as company faces investigation after executives given $3k Cartier watches for securing deal with banks". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Coprporation. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  48. ^ "Aus Post boss resigns after watch scandal". News.com.au. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  49. ^ "Former Australia Post chief executive did not have board approval for Cartier watch gifts, report finds". www.abc.net.au. 22 January 2021.
  50. ^ "Former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate to run rival Global Express", ABC News, 10 May 2021.
  51. ^ "Australia-ASEAN Council Board". Australia-ASEAN Council. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021. Ms Christine Holgate – Board Chair
  52. ^ Lane, Samantha (1 February 2016). "Collingwood recruit Christine Holgate, one of Australia's leading CEOs". The Age. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  53. ^ "CEW Scholars 2011-2015". Chief Executive Women. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  54. ^ "2015 Winners & Finalists". The Australian Growth Company Awards. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  55. ^ "Congratulations to the winners in the 2015 Executive of the Year Awards". The CEO Magazine. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  56. ^ "CEO Magazine reveals Best Executive finalists". MediaWeek. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  57. ^ "2016 Executive of the Year Awards: Winners". The CEO Magazine. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  58. ^ "2019 Marketing Excellence Gala". 16 October 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  59. ^ "Blackmores CEO marries in England". AAP Bulletin Wire. 4 January 2016. ProQuest 1752897232.
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