Sydney, 7 December 2016: Managing director of Rebel and Amart Sports, Erica Berchtold, has been named Retail Executive of the Year by Michael Page.Key to her win was her bold vision to embrace digital technology and innovation to re-imagine the retail experience for Australia’s sports-obsessed fans.A distinguished two-person panel of judges including Franz Madlener, Executive Chairman at Madlener Corporation, credited Berchtold for reviving Australia’s multi-label leisure and active wear brand – Rebel.“She has been instrumental in the development of the idea, the plan and execution. Right from the beginning, Erica has been completely hands on and taken ownership of the project,” said the judges, which also included previous Michael Page Retail Executive Award winner Stephen Younane, co-founder and CEO of Retail Prodigy Group.The Rebel "accelerate" store concept in their Bondi and Chatswood locations showcase the best of traditional bricks and mortar retailing combined with technology and innovation. Berchtold’s “accelerate” initiative focussed on inspiring customers, staff and suppliers to see the Rebel sports brand as a market leader in the execution of all retail touch points in her stores. The result is a multi-sensory experience that completely immerses customers in a visually exciting, interactive “stadium-like” atmosphere which encourages interactivity and customer engagement. Each store is also uniquely designed to incorporate local art and community influences. For example, in the Bondi store, a 20-metre graffiti wall pays tribute to the world-famous Bondi beach graffiti.A humble Berchtold – who manages a combined portfolio of four national retail brands - said she was surprised by her win and credits her accomplishments to the team.“I was aware of some of the other candidates contesting for this award and they were all very credible. I am humbled and grateful to the team of people I work with. I cannot do all of this by myself, we work together to bring things to life.”She also remains aware of the challenges present in Australia’s dynamic retail scene.“Embracing and successfully operating in a multi-channel retail environment is difficult. We are constantly thinking of customer data content management as well as coming up with ideas on how to produce, curate and disseminate the content our customers want in this digital environment.”The Retail Executive of the Year campaign by Michael Page, now in its fourth year, recognises the most innovative senior-level professional in Australia’s thriving retail scene.This year’s award will send Berchtold on a four-day trip to Dubai -- one of the world’s top-rated retail destinations and home to some of the largest and most progressive malls. She will have the opportunity to network with inspiring local industry leaders and gain invaluable insights to grow her business.David Khadi, Regional Director at Michael Page, said, “We set out on this search to identify the most valuable retail industry player in innovation and proven results. The future of sustained growth in Australia’s retail sector is driven by the individuals such as Erica, who are constantly placing themselves ahead of industry trends.”
