Woolworths has appointed Jennifer James as its new director of Corporate and Public Affairs effective October 4.

James, who is currently the chief communications and corporate affairs officer for PepsiCo Asia Pacific, a position she has held since 2010 based in Hong Kong, used to be a journalist where she worked for high profile publications such as The Wall Street Journal and TIME magazine.

She is also a member of PepsiCo Asia Pacific’s Executive Committee.

Before joining PepsiCo, James held Corporate Affairs leadership positions at Unilever Australasia in Sydney, and at L’Oreal USA in New York.

James holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University, New York.

James will report to Richard Dammery, chief legal officer and company secretary.

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