Coles Group has announced the appointment of Claire Lauber as Chief Executive Liquor, elevating her to the company’s Executive Leadership Team as part of a senior leadership reshuffle.
Lauber steps into the role following her tenure as Executive General Manager of Supermarket Operations, where she oversaw the performance of 850 supermarkets and led nearly 100,000 team members. She replaces Michael Courtney, who has been promoted to Chief Customer and Digital Officer.
Lauber brings a wealth of retail leadership experience to the liquor business, having held senior roles across Coles, Boost Juice, Jo Mercer, Woolworths, and Treasury Wine Estates.
“Claire is an empowering leader who has driven record team engagement levels in supermarkets,” said Coles Chief Executive Leah Weckert. “She knows our team and customers deeply, with a proven focus on culture, team capability and operational improvement. She will be an exceptional addition to our executive team.”
In her new role, Lauber will be responsible for steering Coles Liquor, which operates nearly 1,000 stores across Australia.
Michael Courtney, who has served as Chief Executive Liquor, moves into the newly created role of Chief Customer and Digital Officer. This new portfolio combines in-store and online operations, underscoring Coles’ increased focus on an integrated, omnichannel customer experience.
Courtney has led the transformation of Coles’ liquor strategy, moving from a three-banner model to a single Liquorland brand. His career spans senior roles within the Coles Group, as well as at Bank of America and ANZ, with experience across e-commerce, operations, finance, investor relations, and property.
“Michael’s appointment reflects his deep understanding of our business and broad career experience,” Weckert said. “He has consistently shown he can lead through change, build strong teams and deliver for our customers.”
Both appointments take effect immediately and represent Coles’ continued investment in strengthening its leadership team to meet evolving customer expectations across all channels.