Richard Goyder

After graduating from university, Goyder worked in various positions at Tubemakers of Australia Ltd., an industrial conglomerate.

Wesfarmers

He joined Wesfarmers in 1993, and was initially posted to the company's Business Development Department. He was made managing director of Wesfarmers Dalgety (a subsidiary focusing on rural merchandise) in 1999. Wesfarmers Dalgety merged with IAMA in 2001 to form Wesfarmers Landmark, and Goyder initially stayed on as managing director of the new entity. The following year, he was appointed finance director of the main Wesfarmers company.

Goyder became deputy managing director and chief financial officer of Wesfarmers in 2004, and replaced Michael Chaney as CEO in July 2005. In 2007, he oversaw the purchase of Coles Group for A$19.3 billion. This brought Coles Supermarkets, Kmart, Target, and Officeworks under the control of Wesfarmers.

Goyder recruited Ian McLeod and Archie Norman to help turn around Coles, which adopted more competitive pricing. By early 2015, Wesfarmers' return on equity had recovered to double digits. Guy Russo was appointed Kmart managing director in 2008 to turn around that business.

Wesfarmers raised additional equity in 2008 and 2009 to address refinancing risks following the Coles acquisition. In 2015, Goyder said the share issues had proved unnecessary, but defended them as a safeguard during the global financial crisis.

In February 2013, Goyder was chosen to chair the Australian B20 leadership group ahead of the 2014 B20 Summit in Sydney, a meeting of business leaders from the G20 countries.

In December 2014, Coles was ordered to pay A$10 million in penalties for unconscionable conduct towards suppliers in 2011. Goyder described the incidents as "morally indefensible" and outlined reforms including a supplier charter and independent arbitration.

Wesfarmers acquired Homebase for A$705 million in 2016 to expand Bunnings into Britain and Ireland. After a roughly A$1 billion write-down, Goyder acknowledged in March 2018 that the company had changed Homebase's business model too quickly. Wesfarmers agreed to sell the business for a nominal sum that May, after his departure.

In Goyder's final full financial year, 2016–17, Wesfarmers' net profit recovered to A$2.87 billion, chiefly because of higher coal prices and the absence of the previous year's write-downs. Kmart and Officeworks increased earnings, while Coles' earnings declined.

He announced his intention to resign as CEO of Wesfarmers in February 2017, with Rob Scott being appointed as his successor. Scott succeeded him on 16 November 2017.

Goyder was born in 1960 at Tambellup, Western Australia, and was raised on his parents' farms at Tambellup and Broomehill. He boarded at Hale School, Perth, and then went on to the University of Western Australia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Goyder played amateur football for several teams in the WAAFL, but did not progress to higher levels.

Goyder is married with four children. His son Matthew played WAFL football for Claremont. In 2012, Goyder's main residence was reported to be in Mosman Park, WA (a riverside suburb of Perth). A 2015 profile reported that he owned a holiday home in Augusta and a farm of 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) near Toodyay.