Countdown has appointed accomplished dietitian, Deb Sue, to its team. Sue joins Countdown from the Heart Foundation where she managed the Tick programme for the past five years. Previous to this worked for Nutricia New Zealand and as a paediatric dietitian at Starship Hospital.
As part of her new role, Sue will oversee Countdown’s commitment to encouraging healthy choices, roll-out Health Star Ratings and reformulate its own brand products. She will also drive the company’s health and nutrition targets, along with other health and nutrition-related commitments set out in Countdown’s Corporate Responsibility 2020 strategy launched last year.
Kiri Hannifin, General Manager of Corporate Affairs from Countdown said Sue’s newly created role is a critical part of Countdown’s work to support and inform customers to make healthier choices.
“Countdown’s health and nutrition targets set some strong goals for how we can be part of the wider efforts of Government and industry to address health challenges in New Zealand. We are delighted to have someone of Deb’s calibre joining our team. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise both as a practising dietitian and someone who has worked extensively in the food industry,” said Kiri Hannifin.
“We’ve reformulated more than 700 of our own brand products to have less fat, sugar or sodium, and we have a industry leading commitment to removing artificial colours and flavours. Nearly all our stores have dedicated health and wellness sections, and under Deb’s guidance we’re committed to doing even more, growing our relationships throughout the industry and ensuring we’re on the front-foot to lead health initiatives for customers across the country.”
Deb Sue said she is excited to join the Countdown team.
“This is an exciting challenge with a range of opportunities for customers as well as for our 18,000 plus strong team. Countdown has already demonstrated a strong focus on health over the last few years, in particular with their health and nutrition targets. I really want Countdown can lead the way when it comes to nutrition, and be a market leader in this space,” said Deb Sue.
