Myer's CEO Bernie Brookes Receives Award from Sydney Rotary Club

SYDNEY - July 27, 2013 - PRLog -- The Paul Harris Award was made for Mr Brookes’ outstanding contribution to the retail industry in Australia and his active involvement in philanthropy and community support, exemplifying the Rotary motto of “Service above Self”.

The citation said that Bernie Brookes is following in the footsteps of company founder Sidney Myer and his long standing commitment to philanthropy and community support. Bernie’s commitment to community and those much less fortunate is very much part of the culture at Myer and is something deeply aligned with his own personal values.

The Paul Harris Fellow is named after Paul Harris who founded Rotary with 3 business associates in Chicago in 1905.  The award was established in his Honour in 1957.   Each time an Award is made, a donation of US$1,000 is made to the Rotary Foundation on behalf of each recipient.

Since his appointment as CEO in 2006, Bernie Brookes has been responsible for the turnaround and rebuilding of the Myer business. He has led the development and implementation of the Myer five-point strategic plan, repositioning the business to meet today’s challenges and investing for the future.

There are few individuals who commit their personal time and support for such a myriad of charities, personally, professionally and financially.  He is currently patron of the Myer Stores Community Fund, a Territorial Board Member of The Salvation Army, active fundraiser for ONE80TC and also patron of the Joe Berry Australian Retail Industry Executive Award, supporting young people to achieve their career aspirations.

In addition to providing his time and professional acumen to these charities, Bernie and his family also provide personal support to disabled and underprivileged children.

Five years ago Bernie founded My Kids Day Out, an event that supports disabled or disadvantaged children and their families, offering them an opportunity to share in Christmas spirit at Myer.   Hosted by Bernie, members of the Myer management team and volunteers, invited families have a guided tour of the Myer Christmas windows, meet Santa and enjoy a fun filled morning tea with face painting, clowns and entertainment. Each family also takes home a large Santa sack of presents generously donated by Myer’s suppliers.