The retail rumour mill has Julie Coates returning to a senior executive role in department stores following her sudden departure from Woolworths. Coates retail career started with David Jones, and there is speculation that she will rejoin the company following the Woolworths takeover. Her name has also been linked to Myer, which is trying to fortify its senior management ranks after several resignations, and with the future tenure of current CEO, Bernie Brookes, uncertain. The timeframe f
or her departure from Woolworths and Masters’ board would seem to be a more logical fit for Myer than David Jones and Myer’s executive stocks certainly need a boost.
Coates is prize recruit, with broad experience at David Jones, Target, Officeworks, Big W, and Masters Home Improvement.
She has completed a two month advanced management course at Harvard University and, prior to her resignation from Woolworths this month, was developing a business transformation program for every division of Woolworths to underpin future growth and optimise supply chain and logistics capability.
In her 12 years at Woolworths, Coates has held other key executive positions as director of human resources, chief logistics officer, and MD of Big W, as well as an appointment as a director of Masters.
As Inside Retail PREMIUM reported earlier this year, Coates was regarded one of the frontrunners to succeed Grant O’Brien as CEO of Woolworths.
Coates is to leave Woolworths “in coming months”, according to a statement issued by Woolworths, and will remain on the Masters board until the end of the year.
It is understood she will assist with the transition of the Mercury2 supply chain and logistics project to a new, but as yet unnamed, leader of the project in Woolworths executive team.
Woolworths indicated Coates wants to “pursue other career opportunities”, which could include directorships with other companies, but the department store speculation indicates she may want to return to a more stores-focused role.
