Coles merges digital and customer leadership

Coles will no longer have a standalone chief digital officer, combining the function with customer responsibilities under a single executive.

Michael Courtney, Coles Group

The retailer has appointed the CEO of its Liquor business Michael Courtney as its new chief customer and digital officer in a move geared towards bringing its “in-store and online experiences together”.

The appointment comes after the departure of former chief digital officer Ben Hassing – along with chief technology officer John Cox -- during a technology leadership shake-up at the end of last year.

A Coles spokesperson said Courtney’s remit will now cover ecommerce, digital products, loyalty programs, marketing and customer insights.

The “newly combined portfolio [reflects] the increasing focus on omnichannel and how we bring our in-store and online experiences together,” the spokesperson added.

“The customer experience is an integrated one – whether in-store or online – and this structure reflects that.”

Meanwhile, writing on LinkedIn, Coles Liquor described Courtney as having “consistently shown he can lead through change, build strong teams and deliver for our customers”.