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Rob Scott

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Wesfarmers

Search every verified Rob Scott interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Rob Scott, managing director and chief executive officer of Wesfarmers, commented on the company's financial results for the fiscal year, reporting a net profit of $2.9 billion, down 1.8 percent. He attributed a weaker consumer environment to interest rate hikes, higher inflation, and the impact of the Iran war on fuel prices. Scott stated that customers are being "very deliberate" with their purchases and value-conscious, sometimes trading down to lower-cost items, which he noted has driven earnings growth of 6 percent at Kmart and 5 percent at Bunnings. Scott also discussed strategies to address consumer challenges, including cutting costs on thousands of products through more efficient sourcing and leveraging the Anko brand across Kmart, Target, and Officeworks. He mentioned the opening of a K Home store in Box Hill, Melbourne, to showcase Anko furniture. On the broader Australian economy, Scott said consumers are anticipating a possible rate rise, which is weighing on sentiment, and he cited weak productivity and housing supply shortages as inflationary pressures. He expressed optimism that artificial intelligence could help improve productivity and economic growth without exacerbating inflation.

Recent appearances

  • Shoppers grab lower cost items at Kmart in cost of living crunch, says Wesfarmers CEO | The Business

    August 27, 2026 · 📺 ABC News (Australia)

    The owner of well-known Australian retailers such as Bunnings, Kmart, Priceline, Target and Officeworks posted a $2.9 billion net profit the financial year - down 1.8 per cent - as cost-conscious consumers hunt for bargains. Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott says the interest rate hikes and higher inflation, as well as the Iran war, have contributed to a weaker consumer. He says customers are now being 'very deliberate' with their purchases as they face a cost-of-living crunch. Wesfarmers brands Kmart and Bunnings posted earnings growth of 6 per cent and 5 per cent respectively in the ye…

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  • Inflation is the number one challenge facing Australians, says Wesfarmers boss | The Business

    February 19, 2026 · 📺 ABC News (Australia)

    Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott says the recent inflation numbers and the February interest rate rise has made customers more cautious, particularly those on lower incomes. The boss of one of the biggest employers in the country says inflation is the number one challenge facing Australia and we must find a way to bring it down. Rob Scott joined The Business, as the retail giant reported a nine per cent jump in half-year profit to $1.6 billion. Discount shopping boosted sales, which were up three per cent across the business as shoppers hunted for bargains. He says Wesfarmers brands Bunnin…

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  • Wesfarmers CEO: Growth outlook remains positive despite pressure on households

    February 19, 2026 · 📺 CNBC International Live

    Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott joins Squawk Box Asia to discuss the company's latest earnings, saying there is room for growth in the existing portfolio despite a challenging economic environment in Australia.

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  • Rowing to Leadership: How Rob Scott Merged Olympic Discipline with Business Success

    December 12, 2025 · 📺 Macquarie University

    Join Rob Scott, CEO of Wesfarmers and Macquarie University alumnus, as he reflects on his journey from Olympic silver medallist to leading one of Australia’s largest companies. Discover how Macquarie’s Master of Applied Finance program sharpened his edge in the corporate world and why he believes sports shaped his resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills. Gain insights into Rob’s life lessons and his advice for anyone aiming to lead with purpose and passion. A story of grit, growth, and global vision – truly inspiring for alumni and future leaders alike

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  • CEO SERIES: Wesfarmers Rob Scott calls for action on Victorian retail crime | SBS On the Money

    August 28, 2025 · 📺 Ricardo Goncalves

    CEO SERIES: Wesfarmers Rob Scott calls for action on Victorian retail crime SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott about the company's $2.9bn profit, bonus shareholder returns and the economic environment, plus a look at the day on the sharemarket including Qantas' second best profit result ever, with Angus Geddes from Fat Prophets.

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  • Episode 33: Robert Scott, MD and CEO of Wesfarmers

    September 30, 2024 · 📺 Euroz Hartleys

    For our last episode for 2023 our very special guest is Mr Robert Scott, the MD and CEO of one of Australia’s most well known and highly respected companies, the iconic Wesfarmers. Rob is a high achiever. An dual Olympian in rowing winning the silver medal in 1996 in the Atlanta games, a dedicated family man and only the eighth CEO in Wesfarmers 100 plus year history – need more be said. This is a captivating broad ranging conversation with Rob offering so many detailed insights and takeaways.

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  • Watch CNBC's full interview with Wesfarmers CEO

    August 29, 2024 · 📺 CNBC International Live

    Rob Scott, managing director and CEO at the Australian conglomerate, discusses its 2024 full-year results.

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  • Cash strapped consumers signal challenging times for big retailers | The Business | ABC News

    August 29, 2024 · 📺 ABC News (Australia)

    Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott says it's been a challenging year in the retail space and he hopes the stage 3 tax cuts will provide a bit of relief to households under pressure from higher mortgage repayments and soaring rents. He spoke to The Business after the company, which owns Kmart, Target and Bunnings, announced a full-year profit of $2.5 billion. Kmart posted a record profit, while Target saw a revenue fall in the past 12 months. Mr Scott also told Alicia Barry that he's surprised Bunnings is following the supermarkets by being hauled before parliamentary inquiries to answer questions…

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  • ‘Hard’ to blame the costs-of-living on govt but policy setting needs reflection: Rob Scott

    May 05, 2024 · 📺 News24

    Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott says it’s "hard" to blame the government for the cost-of-living crisis, but admits there are domestic factors that need to be reflected on. “There have been many factors post-COVID at a global level that have led to inflationary pressures,” Mr Scott told Sky News Australia Business Editor Ross Greenwood. “There is no doubt that we are seeing some domestic inflation pressures be quite enduring. “There are things we do need to reflect on the policy setting in Australia. “We need to consider what’s happening with energy costs, wage costs and so forth.”

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  • Wesfarmers focused on delivering "win-win" for consumers and shareholders

    February 15, 2024 · 📺 Livewire Markets

    While we all know of BHP as the ‘Big Australian’, as a sandgroper, I’ve always thought proudly of Wesfarmers as the ‘Big West-Australian’. One of my most vivid memories as a kid is stumbling across my grandparents' (who were farmers) old Wesfarmers share certificate. So, I was naturally excited to get the assignment to interview CEO Rob Scott to discuss the company’s first-half results. Scott is only the eighth CEO of a company with over 100 years of history. He’s had to steer the company through what is arguably one of the greatest exogeneous threats over that time in the form of the COVID-1…

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  • CEO Conversation with Rob Scott, CEO, Wesfarmers

    September 21, 2023 · 📺 CEOs for Gender Equity

    A conversation which delves into the business case for gender equity at Wesfarmers, what's working, what's not and Rob's personal reflections on the journey so far.

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  • Wesfarmers companies always try to avoid passing inflation onto its consumers

    August 27, 2023 · 📺 News24

    Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott says the companies within Wesfarmers always try to avoid passing inflation onto its consumers with its prices on products. “We try and avoid having to pass costs onto our customers given that our retail businesses pride themselves in being everyday retailers that have unquestionably the lowest prices in the market,” he told Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood. “So we always start with saying ‘are there ways in which we can leverage our scale, our processes, to drive greater productivity and efficiency.”

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →