Leadership transition underway at Adairs Group
Adairs Limited (ASX: ADH) has confirmed that Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Elle Roseby, has given notice of her resignation, with the Board framing the change as a planned, orderly transition rather than an abrupt departure.
Roseby intends to continue in her role through all or substantially all of her notice period, which is expected to conclude in March 2027, with her final day to be agreed as the transition progresses. By that point, she will have led the Group for just over two years. The Board has stated it will shortly begin the process to appoint her successor and will update the market in due course.
Adairs Chair, Trent Peterson
“Elle has led an important transformation of the Group, building a stronger leadership team and strengthening the foundations of each of our businesses… Looking ahead, the Board is confident in the leadership in place at Group level and across each of our businesses, and in the Group’s direction. With Elle continuing to lead the business and supporting the transition, we are well placed to maintain momentum through an orderly change in leadership.”
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
Strengthening the bench: key appointments and expanded roles
The transition is being supported by two structural leadership changes designed to deepen organisational capability while Roseby remains focused on operations and customer-facing strategy.
Rachel Taylor has been appointed to the newly created role of Executive General Manager Adairs, effective 5 October 2026, reporting directly to the Group CEO. Taylor joined Adairs in August 2025 as GM Customer & Brand, having previously served as General Manager of Digital at Cotton On, where she managed eCommerce and digital channels globally. Over the past six months, she has progressively assumed broader leadership responsibilities across the Adairs business, and this appointment formalises and expands that scope.
Elle Roseby
“Rachel is a highly capable leader who knows the Adairs business, our team and our customers well. This appointment formalises the broader leadership role she has been performing over the past six months, and I’m delighted to see her step into it.”
Matt Edmonds’ role has also been expanded. His title becomes Group Chief Financial Officer and Operations Director, with his expanded role drawing on his experience across supply chain, property, risk management, and technology. Edmonds joined the Group in February 2026.
The key leadership arrangements can be summarised as follows:
- Elle Roseby continues as Group CEO and Managing Director through the transition (expected to conclude ~March 2027)
- Rachel Taylor appointed Executive General Manager Adairs, effective 5 October 2026
- Matt Edmonds’ role expanded to Group Chief Financial Officer and Operations Director
What investors should know about CEO transitions at ASX retail companies
CEO transitions are routine corporate events, but they are closely watched because leadership changes can affect strategy continuity, staff confidence, and short-term operational focus.
The critical distinction for investors is between an abrupt resignation, where a CEO departs with little or no notice, and a structured succession process, where the outgoing leader remains in place while a replacement is identified. The former can create operational uncertainty; the latter is generally considered a signal of Board preparedness and governance discipline.
Indicators of a well-managed transition typically include an extended handover period, internal appointments that distribute leadership responsibilities, and clear market communication. In this case, an approximately six-month notice period, a newly created executive role, and an expanded CFO remit collectively suggest the Board has prioritised continuity.
Trading update: three brands, mixed but stabilising picture
Adairs
The Adairs brand’s performance continues to improve, with the Vision 2030 strategy providing a clear pathway for its continued development. Year-to-date sales remain in line with the trend reported in the trading update provided with the FY26 results.
The Adairs FY26 full year results, reported in August 2026, showed the Adairs brand growing underlying EBIT 14.9% and Mocka delivering record sales of $71.2m, providing the financial baseline against which this transition is being managed.
A significant operational milestone was reached on 16 September 2026, when Project Compass, principally the implementation of Adairs’ new ERP platform, successfully achieved its go-live.
Mocka
Trading at Mocka remains strong. Two standalone Mocka stores are open and trading in line with expectations. A third store is expected to open at Mornington, Victoria, by Q3 FY27. Year-to-date sales remain in line with the trend reported with the FY26 results.
Focus on Furniture
Focus on Furniture’s written sales, recognised as revenue on delivery, show a notable improving trend across the first quarter of FY27, though performance remains below the prior corresponding period.
The Focus on Furniture impairment flagged in July 2026, a non-cash $62m-$68m goodwill writedown that had no effect on covenants or the franking account, was among the first signals that the division required a structural reset rather than incremental remediation.
| Period | Written Sales vs Prior Corresponding Period |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–8 FY27 | -27.6% |
| Weeks 9–13 FY27 | -2.7% |
| Weeks 1–13 FY27 (Q1 total) | -19.5% |
The improvement from -27.6% in the first eight weeks to -2.7% in weeks nine through thirteen reflects the early impact of management actions outlined at the FY26 results. Trading is stabilising, though management notes it remains volatile week to week, in part because promotional and conversion tactics, including targeted investment in margin, continue to be tested. Consistent with the outlook provided with the FY26 results, the first half is expected to remain challenging, and progress is not expected to be linear.
Don’t Miss the Next ASX Retail Shake-Up
Big News Blast delivers FREE breaking ASX news and in-depth analysis to your inbox within minutes of release. Join 20,000+ investors who stay ahead of leadership changes, trading updates, and market-moving announcements the moment they drop. Click the “Free Alerts” button at Big News Blast to start receiving alerts before the market moves.