DealsDirect Group has appointed seasoned executive Simon Kelly as its new CEO.

Kelly, who has held senior leadership roles at both Goodman Fielder and Aristocrat Leisure, commenced his new role this week and joins the business at “a pivotal time in its evolution”, following Ellerston Capital’s cornerstone investment earlier this year.

“I was attracted to the business by both the enormous growth of online retail, as well as the leadership position that the DealsDirect Group holds in the space and its ability to shape the future of Australia’s online retail customer experience,” said Kelly of his appointment.

“The business has grown substantially over the past few years and operates the largest and the most efficient ecommerce distribution centre in Australia, which is a core competitive advantage and provides us with many strategic opportunities.

“Leveraging from our position as Australia’s leading online department store and supplemented by new businesses such as DealMe and SupermarketDeals, there are many opportunities for us to grow and consolidate our presence in this dynamic environment. We think natural adjacencies that broaden the range and flavor of our offers to our customers are key.

“Through acquisition and new launches, you can expect to see more businesses and brands emerge under the DealsDirect Group umbrella. At the same time, while we are already setting the benchmark, we will be looking to take the ecommerce customer experience to the next level.”

Paul Greenberg, co-founder, is moving to the role of executive chairman of the group.

“After 10 years in ecommerce, I am as excited and engaged now as I was when I started. But I do recognise, as good entrepreneurs should, that businesses get to a stage where they need professional management and talented executives to take them to the next level,” he said.

In addition, Mike Rosenbaum, co-founder, will move to the role of buying director.

“Sourcing the right product is one of the most critical tasks of a business like DealsDirect, and Mike is undoubtedly the most experienced in this area in Australian ecommerce,” said Greenberg.

“Most importantly, both Mike and myself are following our passions – for Mike, buying and sourcing the millions of dollars of products we sell every week, for me the big picture – the industry’s future and strategic business opportunities.”