Ryman Healthcare names retail specialist Richard Umbers as new chief executive

Umbers starts later next month. Photo / supplied

New Zealand's biggest listed retirement business has a new chief executive with a global background in the supermarket and retailing sectors.

Christchurch-headquartered Ryman Healthcare, with a $7.9 billion market capitalisation, says Richard Umbers will replace Gordon MacLeod.

Umbers has worked most of his career in retail, most recently divisional director of buying at German supermarket retailer Kaufland and as chief executive and managing director at retailer Myer in Australia.

But he's also worked in New Zealand previously.

He held senior roles at Woolworths in Australia and was managing director of Progressive Enterprises in New Zealand, now trading as Countdown supermarkets. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles with Australia Post and Aldi in Europe.

Umbers' LinkedIn profile says he has studied geology and geography at the University of Exeter and science and finance at the University of Leicester.

He was a British army officer from 1989 to 1994, then worked for German-headquartered retailing giant Aldi in England and Ireland.

He moved Down Under early this century, initially at Woolworths in Auckland and then in Sydney from 2002 to 2010.

He was CEO of StarTrack and held roles at Australia Post up until 2014 when he shifted to Melbourne to work for Myer.

His latest role has been as Kaufland, from 2018 till last year.

"[CEO and board member in the retail, e-commerce and logistics sectors, with experience in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and Germany," his profile says.

"Highly strategic, but with a bias for execution, and proven expertise in building strong teams, fostering alignment and executing large scale organisational change."

In 2015, the Herald reported Umbers "has been handed the ultimate hospital pass".

Just two weeks after taking the helm at the struggling department store chain, he handed down a worse than expected 23 per cent fall in first-half profit. He explained that the retailer had "lost relevance with some customers" and that previous management had allowed cost growth to outpace sales growth, eroding earnings. The disappointing result took the market by surprise back then.

Umbers had joined Myer just five months previously as chief information and supply chain officer, but had been left to fix up the mess, the Herald story said.

He starts next month at Ryman, taking over from MacLeod who said he planned to stand down.

David Kerr, Ryman chairman, said Umbers brought experience in leading growth and innovation at big businesses.

"We are delighted to have secured Richard's services and we believe he will be a great fit at Ryman. This is a special company with a strong culture and a team committed to the care and welfare of our residents. We believe Richard has the right mix of commercial and executive skills and qualities to continue to foster that culture and build on it to prepare Ryman for the enormous growth we see in the years ahead," Kerr said.

Umbers is now in Melbourne and starts on October 25.

"Ryman has established itself as a market leader in the sector, delivering the highest quality of care, and serving an ever-increasing need,'' Umbers said today.

Ryman was founded in 1984 and owns and operates 43 retirement villages here and in Australia where 12,750 people live. It has 6300 staff.

Shares are trading around $15.80, and the market capitalisation is $7.9b.