How Kmart and Target CEO John Gualtieri stays on top of his game

John Gualtieri has spent more than three decades working in the Australian retail industry, and has learned a lot about building strong teams and turning around a business in that time.

Here, Gualtieri shares how he got into retail, what his most important career moments have been, as well as how he works in a 10km run each day.

Inside Retail: Tell me about your career journey. How did you get into the retail industry, and what are some of the different roles you’ve held along the way?

John Gualteri: I’ve been in retail for the best part of 35 years. My first job was working in a butcher shop, cleaning it after school. I think I did it for all of two nights, but it just wasn’t my thing – retail has always been my thing. 

It all started when I was 15 years old with work experience at a Myer store. I was only meant to be there for a couple of weeks, but they asked me to come back on the weekends and work as a stock boy. I did that and worked at Coles on Sundays when stores weren’t allowed to trade, and was part of the team that manually changed prices across the store.

I went on to finish secondary school and make my way through university where I did an accounting degree, but it was when I finished university that I quickly decided that it was time to work out my passion. What I did know was that I loved retail and was good with numbers — the whole interaction with customers in trying to understand what their pain points were and how I could create solutions for them, I just really enjoyed it. 

I decided to take a retail sales assistant job in the TV department, and was there for a few years before I ended up at the buying office at Myer as an administrative assistant. 

I remember telling my store manager I was going to head into the buying office and he said to me, ‘John I’ve known you for a few years now, and this’ll be the biggest mistake you ever make — you’re a store guy.’ He was right, I did really enjoy stores, but I needed to understand how retail really worked. Until that point, I only understood one facet of retail.

Over the years at Myer, I had a few different roles – planning, inventory, system implementations, running buying divisions and even overseeing new store formats. 

Then one day in 2008, I got a phone call from Kmart to see if I was interested in coming to look after their homewares business. Kmart was a very different business back then, and I’ve obviously enjoyed the journey because I’ve been here ever since! 

Kmart and [its parent company] Wesfarmers are very good at making sure they give you the right challenge at the right time of your career, and I felt that every couple of years there would always be something new for me to learn and grow from. In 2021, I was appointed chief executive officer for Kmart, and two months ago, I proudly took on the Target business as well to become chief executive officer at both Kmart and Target. This next chapter is one I’m really excited for. 

I know we’ve got two much-loved brands with two unique customer value propositions, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can continue to grow together as a business. In today’s environment, customers are placing a real emphasis on value, and I see a big opportunity for both brands in the next 12 to 18 months to play a big role in our customers’ lives.

IR: What are some of your career highlights so far, and what do you enjoy most about your role?

JG: My journey at Kmart – from where we started to where we are now – has always been a career highlight for me. The Kmart business is very different today to the way it was back in 2008, and over the years we’ve created a customer value proposition that really resonates with customers across Australia, NZ, and now even the rest of the world: both in-store and online.

But back in 2008 the business wasn’t going too well, and there’s probably three different phases the business went through that have all been career highlights for me for different reasons. 

The first was the turnaround phase, and that was particularly enjoyable for me because it saw us put all the different parts of the business back together and get the teams focused on our strategy. It did take a couple of years, but it was great to really try and understand what we are here for and what our purpose is – which we now know of course is making everyday living brighter for our customers.

The second phase was our growth phase. All the different parts of the puzzle were starting to come together and the strategy was being put into action. It was a really interesting and fun time to be a part of the Kmart team, and I remember it as a rewarding period when we finally saw a lot of that groundwork we had done begin to come to life.

And then there’s the third phase which is the phase I see us in now. Technology is starting to play a really important part in all different areas of the business. We’ve been reinventing, growing, and looking for new and innovative ways to bring our customers better shopping experiences in a really efficient way. 

As for what I love about my job: I’ve had a love of product since I was the guy who was just selling TVs, and I still love to get really involved with the product. I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of trying to remedy customer pain points, and have always been curious about understanding trends and customers’ responses. 

The thing I’m most passionate about in particular though is being able to deliver these trends at an affordable price. I truly believe that everybody, irrespective of where you live and how much money you earn, should have access to good quality products and that’s what both Kmart and Target do really well.

When I go to family barbecues or make new acquaintances and tell them that I work at Kmart and Target, I get lots of positive feedback about the business and it makes me really proud – because that means that the efforts of all our team across Australia, New Zealand and Asia are making a difference in our customers’ lives.

I just love being part of this team. Even though my titles have changed over the years, there’s 50,000 team members here who all play a part in our success and I’m just happy to be one of them. 

IR: What are some of the key leadership lessons you’ve picked up over the course of your career? 

JG: There are a few that come to mind.

Have a clearly defined strategy that everyone can understand and stick with it. Over the years your focus within the strategy may differ, but your core strategy shouldn’t change on a whim. It should be simple, and a guiding force. 

Build strong teams that really complement your skill set, so that these teams continue to challenge you and the way that you think.

You can never stop learning, be curious, acquire new skills and acquire new knowledge. Reinvention and remaining relevant is super important.

Be humble, the world already has too many people with high egos. Don’t add to it.

Success is defined by many elements – a stimulating work role, connecting with family and friends, as well as your health and wellbeing. You need to make time for all these elements.

And lastly, don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun in life!

IR: Where do you go for career advice?

JG: I’ve found that I naturally like to learn a lot from the different individuals around me, and I think that’s what’s really guided me throughout my career. I surround myself with people who are curious, inquisitive, resilient, intelligent and high energy – so I always have a lot to learn from them. 

About six years ago I joined the Young Presidents’ Organisation, which is a group of like-minded individuals that get together once a month and talk about different issues and opportunities that we are facing. This really helps me get another perspective which is great.

I’m also a big fan of podcasts, so if there’s something I’m quite interested in or something I need to learn a bit about – I’ll try and find a podcast for it.

IR: What does a typical day look like for you, and what’s your approach to work life balance?

JG: I’m up between 5 and 5:30am every morning and I go for a run. 10km each day has been my thing for the past five to six years. 

And yes, that’s 10km every morning: rain, hail or shine. It wakes me up and is my quiet time to myself where I can put my headphones on and enjoy some music or a podcast to set myself up for the day. 

Next is a review of the day that was, where I go through the key financial metrics of both the Kmart and Target business. I have this down pat and can understand the variances within 15 minutes or so. Once this is done I head to the office (Target or Kmart) or to a store, or might even be on my way to see our team across South East Asia.  

Most of my time is spent with the teams discussing either operational or strategic progress. I enjoy these times spent with the teams on product reviews or in a store, and talking to the team on how excited they are with the new ranges that are landing. 

And of course nothing beats seeing the customers’ reactions as well. I normally get home between 6 and 7pm and then spend some time with my family. We have a new puppy at the moment (Evie), and she is keeping us entertained.

IR: Do you have any hobbies that help you switch off and stay balanced?

JG: I have mentioned my running, which is my number one switch off. I also get real enjoyment out of getting out with family and friends and going camping to recharge my batteries. I recently got into smoking meats, so on the weekend I’ll get my friends together and do a bit of entertaining with a nice brisket or pulled pork. 

Other than that, I’ve always really enjoyed sports. My kids are a bit older now, but I’ve always loved going to all the sports they would play on a weekend. 

I can’t forget my mighty Pies! I barrack for Collingwood, and so I love to watch them play – and didn’t we have a great season?

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