Country Road Group chief executive Raju Vuppalapati has announced his resignation a year after the company was embroiled in a bullying and harassment scandal.
Mr Vuppalapati announced on Wednesday he would step down to ‘pursue personal interests’ in August after four years at the company.
The group, which is owned by Woolworths Holdings, boasts a number of leading retail brands including Country Road, Mimco, Trenery, Witchery and POLITIX.
The last year of Mr Vuppalapati’s tenure has been a tumultuous one for the company.
In October last year, Mr Vuppalapati warned staff the group was facing ‘a perfect storm’ of challenges after it endured its worst financial year on record.
It came five months after the company commissioned an external investigation into bullying and harassment complaints against Country Road’s former chief supply chain officer Rachid Maliki.
Mr Vuppalapati brought Maliki into the business in August 2022, the two having worked together previously at RM Williams.
The investigation, led by law firm Seyfarth Shaw, concluded further reviews of the company’s workplace misconduct policies were necessary.
Country Road Group chief executive Raju Vuppalati (pictured) will step down in August
Country Road Group owns leading retail brands including Country Road, Mimco, Trenery, Witchery and POLITIX
The decision to retain Mr Vuppalapati at the helm of the company was opposed by a number of employees, some of whom threatened to leave the company as a result, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Woolworths Holdings chief executive Roy Bagattini said the outgoing chief executive had helped to reshape the group’s structure and culture.
‘The business transformation has been one of the most pivotal strategic initiatives undertaken by the group, positioning the business strongly to resume its profitable growth trajectory,’ he said on Wednesday.
Mr Vuppalapati said his time at the helm of Country Road Group had been an ‘honour and a privilege’, adding he was optimistic over its future performance.
‘Whilst these decisions are never easy, I take great comfort in knowing that I leave CRG well positioned to enter this next chapter with compelling strategies, a clear pathway to improving profitability, and talented teams committed to executing our plans,’ he said in a statement.
More to come.
