Alistair McGeorge quits Big W under a cloud

ALISTAIR McGeorge – a big name on the North West retail scene for many years – has resigned as managing director of Australian discount retailer Big W.

He will step down from his position immediately for health reasons, the discount department store’s parent company Woolworths Limited has announced.

“In the interests of transparency, Woolworths wishes to advise that there was a complaint about Mr McGeorge’s behaviour in the workplace,” the company said in a statement.

“The behaviour was verbal in nature. This complaint has been investigated and finalised and for legal reasons we are unable to make any further comment on this matter.”

McGeorge only took up the position in June last year, after leaving his role as chairman of New Look. He had been consulting to Big W for several months before he was appointed.

The 55-year-old was parachuted in as chief executive of New Look in April 2011 to turn the fashion retailer around, before becoming its chairman.

Glasgow-born McGeorge was raised in south Manchester, attending Bramhall High School, and is a keen Manchester United supporter.

He joined Liverpool-based Littlewoods in 1994, where he was promoted from supply chain director to chief executive in 2001. 

In 2006 McGeorge was appointed chief executive at Skelmersdale-based Matalan, where he stayed for four years, leading a £500m refinancing of the business in 2010.