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- Coles Group (COL) appoints Leah Weckert as its new CEO to replace the retiring Steven Cain
- In the past, Ms Weckert has held roles as Chief Executive of Commercial and Express, Chief Financial Officer, People and Culture Director, and State General Manager of Victorian Supermarkets
- Coles Chairman James Graham praised the outgoing Mr Cain for his efforts in guiding the company through COVID-times
- Coles confirmed Mr Cain will remain with the company to assist in the leadership transition, with Ms Heckert’s commencement date set for May 1, 2023
- Shares in COL are down 1.37 per cent, trading at $18.05 at 3:25 pm AEDT
Coles Group (COL) has announced the appointment of Leah Weckert as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing the retiring Steven Cain.
Ms Weckert has more than 20 years of experience in financial, commercial and strategic areas of business, which included a number of senior roles across Coles.
Since 2011, her roles have included Chief Executive of Commercial and Express, Chief Financial Officer, People and Culture Director, State General Manager of Victorian Supermarkets, and a senior member of the executive leadership team following the demerger from Wesfarmers (WES) in 2018.
Coles Chairman James Graham said Ms Weckert was the right candidate to lead the Group moving forward.
“Leah has an outstanding track record of leadership and driving change inside Coles across key operating areas of the business,” Mr Graham said.
“I am confident that Leah will maintain the focus of Coles in driving our strategy, building trust with all stakeholders and growing long-term shareholder value.”
Mr Graham praised the retiring Mr Cain for playing a pivotal role in guiding the group through COVID-ridden times.
“Steven’s leadership through the challenging COVID period saw Coles play a most important role in meeting essential community needs, increasing our reputation with key stakeholders and keeping customers and team members safe,” he said.
CEO-Elect Ms Weckert said she was honoured by the appointment.
“I am very honoured to be appointed as the next CEO of Coles, which has been such an important part of Australian retailing for more than 100 years, and play a part in its ongoing contribution to the Australian community,” she said.
“We have a transformational strategy that, through the hard work of our 130,000 team members, will deliver better experiences for customers and create value for shareholders.”
Coles confirmed Mr Cain will remain with the company to assist in the leadership transition.
Ms Heckert’s commencement date has been set for May 1, 2023.
Shares in COL were down 1.37 per cent and trading at $18.05 at 3:25 pm AEDT.
