New Coles CEO Leah Weckert, Steve Cain retires

Coles chief executive, Commercial and Express, Leah Weckert will take the helm of Coles Group from 1 May, when the current CEO and managing director Steven Cain retires. 

Weckert has held executive positions within the group since 2011, including CFO, People and Culture director, and state general manager, Victorian Supermarkets. She has been part of the executive leadership team since the demerger from Wesfarmers Group in 2018.

Prior to Coles, Weckert was at McKinsey & Company and Foster's Group.

Coles chair, James Graham, said Weckert had an “outstanding track record of leadership and driving change" across key operating areas inside the group.

“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.”

Graham thanked Cain for his leadership through the Wesfarmers demerger and Covid, while building an “outstanding management team with an elevated focus upon technology, sustainability, smarter selling, and diversity and inclusions”.

“In the last five years we have seen significant development of our portfolio with the material expansion of our online business, the reshaping of supermarkets’ store formats and the expected near-term completion of the sale of Coles Express,” he said.

Weckery said she was honoured to be appointed CEO.

“Coles has been such an important part of Australian retailing for more than 100 years... 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. I am excited by the many opportunities and look forward to bringing them to fruition over the years ahead.”

Cain thanked the board, Coles employees, and “our many partners for their support, insights, and resilience - particularly during Covid, bushfires, and floods. I would like to congratulate Leah on becoming my successor and I wish Coles continued success and know that the best is yet to come”.