Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) yesterday announced the appointment of Alison Watkins as Group managing director.
Coca-Cola Amatil owns Fiji brewery Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Limited, formerly known as Foster’s Group Pacific and Coca-Cola Amatil (Fiji).
Ms Watkins is expected to join Coca-Cola Amatil on March 3, 2014.
Coca-Cola Amatil Chairman Mr David Gonski said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Alison Watkins as CCA’s new Group managing director.
“Alison has a highly successful operations and management background across many industries, having delivered impressive results across the food and beverages, retail and finance sectors.
“She has significant experience in developing and managing businesses and people.
“I believe Alison’s skills and background will assist CCA to deliver strong performance outcomes from our existing operations and progress the strong development opportunities in our emerging businesses.
“The Board is confident that Alison’s leadership credentials and focus on excellence position her well to drive further development and growth across the CCA Group.”
Current employment
Ms Watkins is currently the chief executive officer of GrainCorp. This is where over the past three and a half years she has successfully grown and diversified the business.
This was from a largely domestic grain logistics business into Australia’s leading listed international agriculture and food processing company.
Ms Watkins said: “I am excited by this opportunity. I believe my career and experience to date puts me in an excellent position to lead CCA in its next chapter of growth, building on the successes achieved under the leadership of Terry Davis.”
Experience
Ms Watkins is an experienced chief executive officer and ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) 20 company Board Director.
She has experience across alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food processing, agriculture, retail, consumer goods and financial services.
Prior to her role at GrainCorp she held a number of Executive roles including CEO of Berri Limited, the market leader in the Australian juice sector at the time, and is a former partner of McKinsey & Company.
Recent appointments
She was formerly a non-executive Director of Woolworths Limited and is currently a non-executive director of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.
Ms Watkins intends to resign from her non-executive directorship of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited in April 2014.
Ms Watkins will join Coca-Cola Amatil on March 3, 2014 and will replace the current long-serving Group managing director, Mr Davis, who will step down from his position on this date.
Mr Davis will remain available for advice and special projects to Ms Watkins and the Board until the end of August 2014.
Alison Watkins will move into her new job at Coca-Cola Amatil in March next year.