ARA Leadership Team
Chris Rodwell (he/him)
CEO Designate of Australian Retail Council (ARC)
Chris Rodwell is CEO designate of the Australian Retail Council (ARC) – the amalgamated entity which will combine the strengths of leading retail peak bodies the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA).
He is determined to elevate the critical contribution the $430 billion retail sector makes to the Australian economy and communities across the nation.
A seasoned CEO and Board Director with experience working across Australia and internationally, Chris was previously the outgoing CEO of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA).
During his seven-year tenure at CCIWA, Chris secured several major policy outcomes, including landmark reform of Australia’s system for GST distribution, improving environment regulation and employment support for people with disabilities. Chris also led CCIWA in playing a fundamental role in supporting business and workplaces through the pandemic.
Prior to this role, Chris spent an extended period abroad developing Australia’s international trade and investment footprint for both the Australian and Queensland Governments, supporting business across all sectors of the economy.
His work in international business spans Australasia, North America, Latin America, and Europe. Chris will be located in Sydney and has lived and worked across many parts of the nation.
He is married to Katie and together they have four children. He is also a passionate advocate for people with disabilities through D-Dads.
Fleur Brown (she/her)
Chief Industry Affairs Officer
Fleur leads the Industry Affairs portfolio for the ARA which encompasses policy and advocacy, media, marketing, events and partnerships. Fleur has worked as an executive leader in government, media, marketing industries and prior to joining the ARA ran the award-winning Launch Group agency which was responsible government and investor relations, advocacy and media management for many leading Australian brands and public entities.
With a rich background in technology and innovation, she is a former Director of TechSydney, a founding team member of StartupAUS (now Tech Council Australia) a founding director of TEDxSydney and founder and producer the Nine Network’s Entrepreneurs TV show. Fleur is author of the business book The Business of Being You.
Nathalie Rosette-Barber (she/her)
Chief Operating Officer
An experienced retail professional, Nathalie has strong operations and management expertise and deep experience as a change agent within retail environments. She is a highly collaborative and results orientated leader with a finance, compliance and commercial background and strong strategic skills. Her previous roles have included more than 14 years with David Jones in roles including: Head of Strategy Delivery, General Manager Change Management, and Project Delivery; General Manager – Stores Planning; Administration where she has focused on operations performance and planning and working on large scale transformation programs.
Laura Cordero (she/her)
Director – Marketing
Laura Cordero brings extensive experience to the ARA having worked for some of Australia’s biggest retail and media brands leading consumer and B2B marketing teams. As the Director of Marketing, she develops and leads strategic initiatives that drive the value proposition for our members including marketing communications, events and partnerships.
With a strong background in retail marketing, Laura has led impactful campaigns, brand transformations, and digital innovations that enhance consumer experiences and industry influence. Her expertise spans brand and creative strategy, content marketing and customer engagement and growth.
Passionate about the evolving retail landscape, Laura shapes the marketing strategies that ensures the ARA delivers value to our members and partners and drives industry advocacy messages and insights.
Alethea Eckersley (she/her)
Director – Member Relations
Alethea leads the Membership team at the ARA and has a strong retail background. With 15 years’ experience across Partnerships and Corporate Services, she is skilled in relationship management and customer service, with a focus on delivering meaningful and exceptional experiences for customers and members. She has a proven track record of delivering program retention and growth, strategic projects, and business objectives, through operational efficiencies and data led, customer centric decisions.
Mike Ejigu (he/him)
Director – Finance and Risk
Mike is a highly motivated and results driven Finance professional who has more than 20 years of invaluable experience in leading and developing a successful finance team. He has broad experience in finance and operations gained across several industries including hospitality, construction, and banking as well as in semi-government instrumentalities. A member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of UK, he has a demonstrated history of contributing to the strategic direction and critical business decisions leading to sustained growth and profitability through his finance capability.
Ryan Swenson (he/him)
Director – Policy and Advocacy
Ryan leads the policy and advocacy team at the ARA, working with members and key stakeholders to progress the policy priorities that are important for Australian retailers, now and into the future.
