Wayne Harrison – VIC State Manager & Ritchies Director

When did you join Ritchies?

I started in 2004 and worked for 7 years during high school and university before leaving for 10 years. I then returned in 2021, making it a total of 10 years.

What do you do at Ritchies?

As director, it is signing off on corporate decisions and the strategic pathway for the company, as well as managing corporate risks. As VIC State Manager, it is overseeing the VIC business unit achieve its KPIs, as well as supporting the 54 stores and 4,000 team members that are located within VIC.

Tell us about your career path.

I worked for 10 years as a Major Projects lawyer, working on a combination of infrastructure and oil and gas projects. The highlights were working as the Legal Director of the West Gate Tunnel Project, and then as a lawyer at an international law firm in London. Both very different, unique experiences. However, it soon became apparent that I did not want to continue as a lawyer. I was very fortunate that Ritchies saw a role and career path for myself, and I was able to return.

What do you enjoy most about working for Ritchies?

The people. Most of the senior team have been at Ritchies for 20years+ and make coming to work very enjoyable. It does feel like a big family. The other enjoyable part is the variety – one day you could be in Mildura doing store visits, and the next you are in the boardroom discussing upcoming company milestones. Each day is very, very different to the other.