Poolwerx appoints chief innovation officer

Poolwerx has appointed Shannon O’Brien to the newly created position of chief innovation officer.

He will manage and grow the innovation pipeline across new and existing products, services and processes, fast-track the adoption of new systems across the network and further bring the brand onto the global stage.

CEO John O’Brien says the new role comes off the back of the franchise’s success throughout covid-19, with sales jumping nearly 15 per cent year-on-year and with 13 new store openings in a matter of months.

He says that Shannon O’Brien brings more than a decade of experience in digital transformation and business innovation with roles in New York, London, Sydney and Brisbane at Deloitte Digital, Grey London and Mediabrands. He has worked for P&G, Volvo, GSK, Bank of America and the European insurer AXA.

Shannon O’Brien, who is also John O'Brien's son, will be based in New York, maintaining the global reach of the business.

John O’Brien says the key appointment will help deliver innovation across every single business unit to help Poolwerx maintain its competitive edge.

“Since our inception, a key part of our ongoing growth is to constantly evolve and develop new innovations and initiatives. This ensures we stay ahead of our competitors and honour our key values – ‘dare to succeed’ and ‘find the better way’. This has never been more visible than throughout covid-19, where we were able to digitally pivot and move all our systems and processes online – from franchisee recruitment and training to video conferencing – effectively overnight,” he says.

“Shannon’s commitment to impactful change and continuous improvement will be a great asset to the business as we navigate continual changes with agile responses to new opportunities.

“Poolwerx continues to look for ways to improve our global impact and this significant appointment to the leadership team will allow us to forge ahead with sustainability and keep business development front of mind. We look forward to an exciting new chapter ahead with the introduction of this critical role to our global team.”

New chief technology officer

Meanwhile, Russell Inserra is also joining Poolwerx as their first chief technology officer, planning to build the brand’s technology infrastructure and enhance products and services to best anticipate changing client needs.

Inserra brings more than 20 years corporate experience, with executive roles across finance, operations, sales and marketing for brands including Ready Plan retail insurance products and Hannan Group within Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

MAIN CAPTION: Shannon O’Brien