Chris Ottaway is the most high-profile executive to join the appliance industry this year as the newly appointed General Manager of Merchandising at e&s – but with very little experience from this industry, who is he and why has he been chosen to join the retailer?
Ottaway will report into e&s Operations Director Adam White and is a direct replacement for Mat Steenvoorden who left the business two months ago. Existing category managers and the buying team within the e&s business will report into Ottaway once he commences in the new role.
Educated in New Zealand, Ottaway has had an extensive career in retailing – that began in the stationery and gift category over two decades ago and has come full circle with another role most recently in the same category.
Ottaway’s first role in retail was in 2004 for New Zealand book, stationery, gift, games and toy retailer Whitcoulls. After five years at Whitcoulls where he rose to become Senior Category Manager, he then moved across to private equity company Redgroup Retail that was the former parent company of the Australian and New Zealand divisions of Borders – as well as Angus & Robertson in Australia and Whitcoulls in New Zealand.
Ottaway then joined Coles Group for 18 months as Senior Category Buyer for home entertainment, books, printed media, cards and wrap products.
His next role was with the online retailer Catch Group for just 10 months as Online Product Manager – Entertainment.
He then joined BP as Business Merchandise Manager for three years from 2013 to 2016.
His longest role in Australia was working for five years with the Spotlight Retail Group as Senior Buyer, Business Development Manager for Art, Craft and Hobby products which including the Covid pandemic.
Ottaway’s most recent role was as Wholesale Manager for Australia and New Zealand for the Telegram Group from December 2021 concluding in May 2025. Wholesale brands within the Telegram Group include Moleskine, Lamy, Kinto, MemoBottle, Ashley & Co, Bon Parfumeur, Studio Milligram, Rifle Paper Co, Kaweco, Addition Studio and Any Day Now.
Ottaway describes himself as having “expertise in retail and wholesale, supply chain optimisation, freight and distribution, continuous improvement, promotional strategies, cross-functional collaboration and high performing team development”.
“With 25+ years in retail and across senior leadership and category management roles, I have worked in both retail and wholesale channels. I have been fortunate to have been a part of amazing retail organisations and built strong relationships across the retail industry.
“Fuelled by passion and a relentless drive for improvement, I thrive on crafting and executing business and customer strategies that elevate brands, empower teams and drive lasting success. Always seeking fresh challenges, I’m committed to growing professionally and delivering impactful results for the customers, brands and the company I work with.”
Does Ottaway’s appointment signal a potential move for the e&s brand into the New Zealand market to utilise his trans-Tasman retailing experience, as it would appear less likely that the kitchen, laundry and bathroom retailer will start selling books and stationery any time soon.