We are delighted to share that Carl Halford has commenced his role as General Manager of Wet & Forget, after an extensive search by Tribe Leadership Executive Search. Tribe Leadership’s Commerce & Private Equity team once again partnered with PE firm Direct Capital and Wet & Forget on this critical recent search, following their acquisition of the group in April 2024.
Carl will spearhead Wet & Forget’s New Zealand operation, overseeing the existing footprint of 21 stores, as well as building out the presence of the group in Australia. Carl has a very relevant retail and omnichannel background with 13 years at The Warehouse Group in a variety of roles, 3 years at Animates as General Manager of Product, and more recently a senior leadership role as Head of Merchandise for Bunnings NZ.
Wet & Forget is a company renowned for its innovative cleaning products. Established in New Zealand in 1995, Wet & Forget quickly gained popularity for its effective and easy-to-use cleaning solutions that require minimal effort. Today, Wet & Forget is an internationally recognised business known for their diversified product line that includes applications for various surfaces such as roofs, driveways, and even boats, emphasising no-scrub, non-toxic, and eco-friendly formulas that make routine cleaning tasks simpler for users around the world.
Carl made the following comments:
“I feel very privileged to be joining Wet and Forget at such an exciting time in its journey. An opportunity like this, to work for a successful NZ business and build on the great work already in place is one that does not occur very frequently.
With a strong presence in NZ and a growing following around the world, I am relishing being able to support the incredibly passionate team to drive even greater success in the future.” Carl Halford, General Manager, Wet & Forget
“Carl’s experience across multiple top tier NZ retail businesses has set him up well to lead Wet & Forget. We were particularly impressed by his focus on people and culture and think he is going to be a valuable addition to steer the business through the next chapter" Emma Spear, Associate Director, Direct Capital
David and the team at Tribe Leadership Executive Search would like to wish Carl every success in his new role:
“Carl’s extensive track record of adding value in complex, multisite retail environments make him a strong fit as General Manager for Wet & Forget, as the company goes through an exciting growth phase underpinned by private equity investment. Carl’s commercial mindset reputation for high quality delivery and execution will be real benefits to the business as they focus on scaling and building market share.”
Looking to find the next member of your executive leadership team? Reach out to David Ziebart for a confidential chat. davidz@tribegroup.com
