Coles has announced that Michael Courtney has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive Coles Liquor Group, replacing Darren Blackhurst who is returning to the UK to be with his family.
Coles CEO Leah Weckert said that Courtney has been appointed to the top job in the Liquor group after leading Coles Express for four years where he delivered a winning strategy and oversaw a successful transition to Viva Energy.
“Michael has spent the past six months immersing himself in the eCommerce business and transforming our customer offer,” Weckert said.
“Michael is exceptionally well placed to lead Liquor in delivering the strategy and transformation plans underway. He is committed to building a strong culture and team who are passionate about being local drinks specialists.
“I’m delighted to welcome Michael to the Executive Leadership Team. He is a fantastic example of building a great career at Coles and this appointment is testament to his ability to seek opportunities to continually adapt and grow.”
Courtney added: “I’m really excited to be taking the role because providing an exceptional drinks experience for customers is key to Coles Group’s strategy.
“We’ve got three really strong brands in the liquor business being Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market and Vintage Cellars which cater to a variety of customer missions and give us the opportunity to really differentiate in the market.
“Darren Blackhurst, in his three years in the business, set forward a strategy that’s gained really positive momentum which I’m looking forward to building on and working with the team and our suppliers to be the very best drinks retailer in Australia.”