Harvey Norman’s Callard to return to Australia
BLAINE Callard, the boss of Irish division of well-known retail chain Harvey Norman is to return to his home country of Australia in June, to take up a role in the group’s head office.
It will mark the end of his tenure as chief executive of the Irish operation after nine years.
Callard (pictured) was very vocal about the problems facing retailers over the course of the recession, as well as Harvey Norman’s efforts to deliver a profit in Ireland after years of losses.
Callard confirmed to the Sunday Independent that he would be leaving Ireland at the end of May to take up a ‘strategic role’ with the group in Australia. “It was never my intention to move to Ireland permanently, albeit I had no ticking clock,” he said. “I had a great nine years.”
He said that when he arrived in 2010 he hoped the business would turn around in four to five years. “It took a little bit longer, it took six years for us to break even,” he said.