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Biography
Declan was CEO of Woodie’s, Ireland’s market leading DIY, Home & Garden retailer, and led the transformation of the business from 2013 to 2022. This saw a remarkable turnaround, with operating margin growing to exceed 10 % from 0%, same store sales up 67 %, and all 35 stores in the estate reformatted and modernised. Almost no part of the business was untouched, with the product portfolio upgraded, the store operating model overhauled, the supply chain radically restructured, a digital ecosystem created and the Woodie’s brand comprehensively modernised.
The success of Declan’s tenure was largely attributable to the scale and speed of change at all levels. Creating a Great Place to Work organisation, in a short space of time, delivered high trust between the 1,500 colleagues in the business and its leaders, leading to an embrace of change, a demand for more and a momentum in Woodie’s business performance that is ongoing today.