Former BUPA CMO becomes customer chief at Greencross

Former Bupa CMO, Jane Power, has switched health insurance for pet care and retail, joining Petbarn owner, Greencross, as its chief customer officer.

Power officially took up the reins at Greencross this week, a pet care company that represents a national network of more than 190 veterinarian practices across Australia. It also owns Petbarn, a pet retail chain now operating more than 200 stores nationally, as well as the City Farmers chain, bringing its total store network to 250.

Power spent the previous past two-and-a-half years as director of marketing then chief marketing and customer officer at Bupa, stepping up to the post John Moore’s relocation to the UK. Power first joined Bupa in 2013 and played a key role in repositioning the brand, leading the global brand team throughout her tenure with the health insurance provider.

Prior to joining Bupa, Power was an executive manager at Suncorp, and also headed up product and marketing for wealth management and superannuation at Promina Group.

In June, Bupa made the decision to embed marketing execution teams into its respective business units of health insurance, aged care and health services, eliminating the CMO’s post. At the time, Bupa Australia and New Zealand CEO, Hisham El-Ansary, personally thanked Power for her significant contribution during her time at Bupa.

The group has since created a chief customer and strategy officer position, appointing Gerald Marion to the role from 1 August. Marion was previously a partner in Ernst & Young’s customer and strategy practice.  The role is designed to deliver leadership in customer advocacy and tasked with ensuring all aspects of company strategy are focused on delivering for the customer. Marion also has accountability for leveraging data and analytics.

Power told CMO she was looking forward to the chance to make a real difference in a category where consumers are highly engaged.

"I’ve found an opportunity to have skin in the game in a sector where customers are super engaged in the category - what a sweet spot," she said.

Key priorities include building out Greencross' ecommerce play, loyalty strategy, brand and driving growth.

Power’s appointment at Greencross comes after the business de-listed from the ASX in late February and became a private company once more under a $5.55 per share takeover bid from TPG Capital. In June, the group also appointed former Bras N Things, George Wahby, as CEO, replacing Simon Hickey, who’d been in the role for less than 18 months.

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