Board of
Directors

Board of Directors

The Coles Group Board provides leadership and approves and monitors the strategic direction, risk management systems, values, business plans and policies of the Coles Group to uphold corporate reputation and maximise value to shareholders.

James Graham AM

James Graham AM

BE (Chem) (Hons), MBA, FIEAust EngExec, FTSE, FAICD, SF FIN

Chairman and Non-executive Director, Chairman of the Nomination Committee and Member of the People and Culture Committee

James Graham has extensive business, investment, corporate and governance experience, including as a Non-executive Director of Wesfarmers Limited for 20 years, prior to his retirement in July 2018. James is Chairman of Gresham Partners Limited, having founded the Gresham Partners Group in 1985.

From 2001 to 2009, James was a Director of Rabobank Australia Limited, initially as Deputy Chairman and then Chairman, and was responsible for the Bank’s operations in Australia and New Zealand. He was also Chairman of the Darling Harbour Authority between 1989 and 1995, and was previously Managing Director of Rothschild Australia Limited. In 2008, James was made a member of the Order of Australia.


Leah Weckert

Leah Weckert

BEng (Hons), BSc, MBA, GAICD

Managing Director and CEO

Leah Weckert became the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Coles on 1 May 2023. 

Leah joined Coles in 2011 and has held several senior roles across the business. Most recently, Leah was Chief Executive, Commercial and Express, leading the Supermarkets and Coles Express business units. Before this, Leah was Chief Financial Officer and played a leadership role in the demerger of Coles from Wesfarmers in 2018. Leah has also held roles as Director Strategy, Director People & Culture, State General Manager Victoria Operations, and General Manager Merchandise, Strategy and Innovation.

Prior to joining Coles, Leah worked at McKinsey & Company, advising large private and public sector clients, and Foster’s Group in Strategy and Business Development.

She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of Chief Executive Women.


Terry Bowen

Terry Bowen

BAcc, FCPA, MAICD 

Non-executive Director, Member of the Nomination Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee

Terry Bowen is the Chairman of the Operations Group at BGH Capital.

Terry previously served as Finance Director of Coles (2007 to 2009), Finance Director of Wesfarmers Limited (2009 to 2017) and Managing Partner and Head of the Operations Group at BGH Capital (2018 to 2019). Terry was also formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Jetstar Airways, Finance Director of Wesfarmers Landmark, and before this held senior finance roles with Tubemakers of Australia Limited.


Jacqueline Chow

Jacqueline Chow

MBA, BSc (Hons), GAICD

Non-executive Director, Member of the Nomination Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee

Jacqueline Chow is a Non-executive Director of Boral Limited, nib Holdings Limited and Charter Hall Group. She is also a Director of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce of New South Wales.

From 2016 to 2019, Jacqueline was a Director of Fisher & Paykel Appliances. Jacqueline previously held senior management positions, including Chief Operating Officer, Global Consumer and Food Service, with Fonterra Cooperative Group, one of the world’s largest dairy product producers and exporters. Prior to that, she was in senior management with Campbell Arnott’s and Kellogg Company. She was also Programme Steering Group Director, Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand and Deputy Chairman of the Global Dairy Platform Inc. She was previously a Senior Advisor at McKinsey Consulting RTS.


Abi Cleland

Abi Cleland

MBA, BCom/BA 

Non-executive Director, Member of the Nomination Committee and the People and Culture Committee

Abi Cleland is currently a Non-executive Director of Computershare Limited and Orora Limited. She was previously a Nonexecutive Director of Sydney Airport Corporation Limited, Chairman of Planwise AU, a Director of Swimming Australia and on the Lazard PE Fund advisory committee. From 2012 to 2017, Abi established and ran an advisory and management business, Absolute Partners, focusing on strategy, mergers and acquisitions and disruption. Before that, she held senior management roles at KordaMentha’s 333, where she was Managing Director, and at ANZ Banking Group Limited, Incitec Pivot Limited and Amcor Limited.


Richard Freudenstein

Richard Freudenstein

LLB (Hons), BEc 

Non-executive Director, Chairman of the People and Culture Committee and Member of the Nomination Committee

Richard Freudenstein is the Chairman and a Non-executive Director of Appen Limited as well as a Non-executive Director of REA Group Limited (where he was Chairman from 2007 to 2012). He is a board member of Cricket Australia and Deputy Chancellor of the University of Sydney.

Richard was previously Chief Executive Officer of Foxtel (2011 to 2016), Chief Executive Officer of The Australian and News Digital Media at News Ltd (2006 to 2010), and Chief Operating Officer at British Sky Broadcasting plc (2000 to 2006). His previous board positions include Ten Network Holdings Limited (2015 to 2016), Foxtel (2009 to 2011) and Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (2016 to 2019). Richard was also a member of the Advisory Board of artificial intelligence software company, Afiniti Ltd (2017 to 2022).


Andrew Penn

Andrew Penn AO

MBA, AMP, FCCA, HFAIPM

Non-executive Director, Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee

Andy Penn is currently the Chairman of the Australian Government’s Cyber Security Expert Advisory Board. He is a  member of the Advisory Board of REDSPICE, Quad Investors Network of the American Frontier Fund and the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria. Andy also is a Life Governor of Very Special Kids, Ambassador for the Amy Gillett Foundation, and a member of the Advisory boards of The Big Issue Home for Homes and JDRF.
 
From 2015 – 2022, Andy was Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Telstra and was also previously Telstra’s Chief Financial Officer and Group Executive International.
 
Prior to joining Telstra, Andy spent 23 years with AXA. From 2006 to 2011, he was the Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer AXA Asia Pacific Holdings. Andy has had an extensive career spanning more than four decades across three industries – telecommunications and technology, financial services and shipping.
 
In 2023, he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day honours for distinguished service to business, charitable organisations, youth and the arts.


Scott Price

Scott Price

BA, MBA, MA 

Non-executive Director, Member of the Nomination Committee and People and Culture Committee

Scott Price commenced as Group Chief Executive of DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited on 1 August 2023, having retired in early 2022 as Executive Vice-President; President of UPS International. Scott was also previously UPS’s Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer and was responsible for strategic planning, Global Business Services and the company’s Advanced Technology Group.

From 2009 to 2017, Scott led Walmart’s Asia store business before moving to the United States to lead global sourcing, international technology, real estate and strategy. He was also previously President and CEO of DHL Asia and then DHL Europe and began his career at The Coca-Cola Company in Asia. Scott is a former board member of the notfor- profit World Food Program USA.


Wendy Stops

Wendy Stops

BAppSc (Information Technology), GAICD 

Non-executive Director, Member of the Nomination Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee

Wendy Stops is the Chair of Fitted for Work, Deputy Chancellor and Council member at the University of Melbourne, Chair of the Industry Advisory Board for the Melbourne Business School’s Centre for Business Analytics, a member of the AICD’s Governance of Innovation and Technology Panel and a member of AT Kearney's ANZ Advisory Board.  

Previously, Wendy was the Chair of Blackmores Limited and a Non-executive Director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Limited and Altium Limited. Currently, Wendy is a member of Chief Executive Women, serving on their Leaders Program Committee, and a graduate of the AICD.