This blog has been written by Jeremy Goodale, State GM Southern States, ALM
I joined Metcash in the ALM in a slightly unusual way. My previous role I was the Commercial Director for a supplier in the liquor space where I was doing a lot of travel, both interstate and overseas. Although I loved the industry I was in, I knew I was spending too much valuable time away from family. Because of that, I had to make the hard choice of resigning without having another job lined up.
Looking back, it was one of the greatest decisions I could have made for myself, both personally and professionally.
As has proven true time and time again in my career, my network was the key to my next jump forward. I received a phone call from the acting CEO who suggested I’d be a great fit for the GM role in Victoria. We spoke about the role being the opportunity for someone to come in, make a big impact, and do things differently. This resonated with me instantly. It was a short turn around between my interviews and an offer, and I was delighted to be coming on board.
The Laverton Secret Sauce
It’s been a little over 5 years since I joined and throughout the time the most compelling emotion has come from walking into the Laverton building. Laverton is an older facility (our new home at Truganina is not far off the horizon!), but the people inside are so lively and passionate about this business. That immediately grabbed me. I went from work feeling like ‘just work’ to having this immense sense of purpose and community.
This sense of purpose is also a sense of responsibility for me. I feel the duty to do everything I can to make sure that independent supermarkets and bottle shops can have a thriving business. But I have to say, having that sense of purpose makes getting up and going to work so much more fulfilling.
Empowering Teams
The thing that I am most passionate about today is the people in my team and across the ALM business. I am so focused on those around me and what I can do to ensure they love their job as much as I love mine. We as leaders work really hard to build trust, so that when people have days when they’re struggling, they can come and knock on our doors and talk about it. We’re committed to doing everything we can to support our team and make this the most energized and supportive work environment that it can be.
In particular, I love my time with the logistics team. We’ve got such skillful people in our business and I love getting deep into the problems and solving them together with creative solutions. But it’s not just in our office, I am so inspired by the incredible work that goes on in our distribution centres. Whenever I need a burst of energy, I just go and have a chat with the drivers and the team loading the truck, the ones who are the real heroes of our industry.
This is by far the most diverse role I’ve been in, and it has also been one of the more challenging roles. That’s broadly down to the ‘beast’ of business that we work in. Because we’re offering so much in so many areas, from pricing and claims management, to promotions, marketing, and of course logistics, two days are very rarely the same. With this in mind, my advice would be that a career at ALM is perfect for passionate, creative individuals who have a hunger to be a part of change, and knack for thriving in complexity. But don’t worry, it’s not without its fun! The people and community we work with are truly incredible and I’ve had so many great laughs and built so many life-long connections.
