Coles appoints first female CEO in 109-year history

Leah Weckert becomes Coles’ first female CEO, focusing on enhancing customer experience and creating value for shareholders.
By: | February 21, 2023
Topics: Australia | DE&I | Leadership | News

Coles has made history by appointing a woman as CEO for the first time in its 109-year history. Leah Weckert, who has worked with the Australian supermarket giant for 12 years, will assume the CEO position in two months, following the retirement of current CEO Steven Cain.

Weckert has held numerous senior roles at Coles over the years, most recently serving as Chief Executive of Commercial and Coles Express. Her previous positions at the organisation include CFO, Director Strategy, CPO, State General Manager Victoria, and General Manager Merchandise, Strategy and Innovation.  

Prior to working with Coles, she was a Senior Business Analyst and Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company, as well as Manager of Global Strategy and Development at Foster’s Group.

Upon her appointment, Weckert expressed her appreciation and excitement to be a part of Coles’ transformative strategy, which aims to deliver better customer experiences and create value for shareholders. She also looks forward to bringing new opportunities to fruition over the coming years, reported Business News Australia.