Weleda Australia Managing Director

2008 – 2024

Weleda Australia is owned by Weleda GB with a head office in Switzerland. The company was founded over 100 years ago by the philosopher Rudolph Steiner and Dr Ita Wegmann to provide natural medicines globally. They are now in 50 countries and are one of the most respected brands for the principles based on working in harmony with nature and caring for people and planet.

When David began with Weleda Australia it was a sub-branch of Weleda New Zealand. Within the first couple of years an office was established in Australia and the business has now developed to be available Australia wide in Major Pharmacy Groups, David Jones, Health Food Stores and online.

Weleda remains a highly profitable, well recognised and respected business that balances prosperity with caring for People and Planet.

 

Go Vita Distributors ~ Health Shops CEO

2000 – 2007

                                                         

Go Vita is a co-operative group of health stores established in the early eighties. It is now recognised throughout the industry as an enthusiastic, dynamic and progressive co-operative group.

Some of the key results include

• Development of strategy to re-structure a diverse mix of health shop retailers from a loosely organised group into a highly competitive and prosperous co-operative. 

• Growth over six years from over 60 to 121 stores.

• Cultural re-defining and re-branding of the group. 

• Implementation of e-commerce/computer competencies with a specifically designed POS system and a new look website. 

• Creation of a Customer Relations Management loyalty program for the Good Health Club database (200,000) and the release of the award-winning Go Magazine.

• Expansion of the groups’ publication ~ Good Health Newspaper over 1.5 million copies printed 4 times annually. 

• Opening of a new warehouse holding over 2500 SKUs with an annual turnover that has quadrupled in the last 5 years. Negotiated with all major suppliers to expand warehouse range and increase margin. 

• Re-writing and execution of a new Membership Licence Agreement. 

• Creation of a private label range of products that is delivering substantial returns to the group, annual sales in excess of $2 million. 

• Go Vita member stores have won the Complementary Healthcare Councils Retailer of the Year for the last four consecutive years

These accomplishments have been delivered with no fee increases and with performance well above expectations. 

 

Hilton Lifestream CEO  48 Employees and 7 consultancy Naturopaths

1987 – 2000

The company was established in 1963 and distributed health products throughout Australia by mail order, with some sales through Japan and other overseas countries.

Over the 12-year period the company was reengineered into a value added business that consistently performed to budget or beyond and maximised resources to deliver sustainable profit and growth.

Some key results include

• Significant growth in both sales and profit by refocusing strategy

• Implementation of a tiered loyalty schemes with a focus on creating lifelong customers and high customer redemption

• Design of a daily reporting profile for major KPI’s that accumulates monthly, promotional and annual reports, for timely and accurate management.

• Several appearances on television and other media with measurable results. 

• Creation and management from concept, design, manufacture, marketing and ongoing development of extensive ranges of new products.

• Expansion of catalogue, magazine telemarketing and Public relations.

• Implementation of operational procedures for same day dispatch, warehousing SOP’s and transition to high standards of Quality Assurance.

• Implementation of environmentally responsible practices throughout the company

Medinat Pharmaceuticals General Manager

1985 – 1987

Initially employed as Marketing and Sales Manager for Pharmaceutical and Naturopathic Ranges. After successfully designing and implementing marketing strategies the Board decided to change the role to General Manager. Medinat had experienced fast growth with cash flow difficulties and needed innovative methods to stabilize the business whilst seeking investors. An organised Public Relations campaign and centralising of products into a unique stand helped create the required stability.

 

Direct Health Products Managing Director

1982-1985

From the establishment of a retail outlet in 1980 the business grew into a wholesale and direct marketing business. This included all facets from start up, to developing catalogues, building a sales and operational team to setting up systems.