Pick n Pay announces Woolworths exec as next CEO
Pick n Pay has appointed Woolworths Chief Customer Officer, Spencer Sonn, as its CEO-designate, who will take over from the company’s current CEO Sean Summers.
Sonn will begin as CEO-designate in February 2027, and the company said that he and Summers would work closely together to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.
Summers’ contract with Pick n Pay is set to expire in May 2028, at which point Sonn will succeed him as the company’s CEO.
“Spencer will work closely with current Chief Executive Officer, Sean Summers, as part of a planned and orderly leadership transition that will support continuity and the continued execution of the Group’s strategy,” Pick n Pay said.
Summers was appointed CEO of Pick n Pay in 2023, after initially serving in the position from 1999 to 2006.
His 2023 appointment came as the company was working on a turnaround strategy to address its technical insolvency.
Pick n Pay has struggled in recent years to turn a profit, with the group currently in discussions about store closures and potential retrenchments.
Summers’ contract with Pick n Pay expires in May 2028, and the CEO said that finding a suitable replacement was important for him.
“Throughout our engagements, Spencer has expressed enormous admiration for the values and founding principles that Pick n Pay was built on,” Summers said.
Sonn has served in several executive positions, including managing director of Woolworths’ food division. He is currently Woolworths’ Chief Customer Officer, a position he has held since April 2025.
“Spencer is a seasoned and respected retail leader having had a 26-year career at Woolworths South Africa, with five years as Managing Director of the Food Division, which has been at the heart of their success and growth,” Pick n Pay said.
The company said that Sonn’s appointment in February 2027 will provide “ample time for Sonn to settle into executive leadership and work with Summers on the company’s turnaround.”
The company also highlighted Sonn’s experience in management positions abroad, which it said was “particularly valuable.”
Sonn said that the new appointment was an exciting opportunity for him and that he was “looking forward to working closely with Sean.”
“I am looking forward to playing my part in continuing the turnaround and being part of the family,” he said.
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