Connecting for Growth | Peer Support for Business Leaders
Current Non-Executive Roles
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Pure Food Alliance – President Director; November 2024 – present
LUXE Espresso – Business Venture; 2018 – present
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Previous Executive and Non-Executive Roles
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Sara Lee Holdings – Group Chief Executive Officer; 2021 – 2024
McCain Foods – Managing Director, Sara Lee Australia & New Zealand; 2019 – 2021
Nestlé Australia – General Manager, Food & Dairy; 2005 – 2017
Nestlé Australia – Group Sales Director; 1997 – 2005
MARK MACKANESS
Chair
Mark is a dynamic and influential business leader with more than 25 years of experience at executive and chief executive level across multinational, private equity and privately owned business structures. His career has been built in consumer goods manufacturing, managing complex supply chains and diverse marketplaces across Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific.
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Mark is currently President Director of Pure Food Alliance, developing joint ventures across Asia to bring disruptive innovation to own-label ice cream for major retailers globally. The venture has launched 13 products with Coles Australia within 18 months, with a pipeline extending to Woolworths, Trader Joe's and Costco in Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
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He was previously Group Chief Executive Officer of Sara Lee Holdings, where he set the strategic direction and built the infrastructure and governance required to establish a standalone business across Australia and New Zealand. This involved merging two large organisations, extracting synergies and driving growth both domestically and through export, doubling revenue growth and implementing a new ERP platform within six months.
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As Managing Director of Sara Lee Australia and New Zealand within McCain Foods, Mark led a complete carve-out and business turnaround, doubling EBITDA in 18 months, achieving record market share in both markets and implementing $3.5 million of sustainable cost advantage.
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Mark spent two decades with Nestlé Australia. As Group Sales Director he was responsible for six business units and a team of more than 900 people delivering in excess of $1.9 billion in turnover. As General Manager – Food & Dairy he held full profit and loss responsibility for a $390 million portfolio including MILO, MAGGI, Lean Cuisine and Nestlé Baking Chocolate.
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Mark is recognised for a strong strategic vision, disciplined portfolio management, and a highly energetic, consumer and customer-led leadership style that builds and inspires teams to achieve exceptional levels of performance. He holds a Bachelor of Business in Marketing from the University of Western Sydney.