Food and beverage manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) has announced upcoming changes to its senior management team.

The changes will see Nessa O’Sullivan, CCA Group CFO, and Peter Kelly, SPC Ardmona’s Managing Director, leave their roles.

CCA Chairman David Gonski the CCA Board had “highly valued both Ms O’Sullivan and Mr Kelly for their professionalism, integrity and commitment to the success of the Company”.

“On behalf of the Board, I thank them and wish them well for the future,” Mr Gonski said.

CCA Group CFO change

Nessa O’Sullivan, CCA Group CFO, will leave her role following the completion of year-end processes and the February 2015 EGM, but will remain available to assist as required until the end of May 2015. Ms O’Sullivan has been with CCA for 10 years and was appointed Group CFO of CCA in 2010, following six years in various senior finance roles in CCA’s Australian beverages business.

“I am very grateful for Nessa’s support during my first year as Group MD at CCA and the continuity she provided,” said Alison Watkins, CCA Group Managing Director. “She particularly played strong leadership roles in our 2014 Strategic Review and the negotiation of the proposed investment by The Coca-Cola Company in CCA’s Indonesian business,” she said.

Australian Food News reported in November 2014 that CCA had announced the results of its strategic review. The review was conducted in response to deteriorating market conditions across the Group with the objective of restoring CCA to sustainable earnings growth. Australian Food News reported in August 2014 that had announced a profit of $182.3 million for the first half of 2014, a drop of 19 per cent compared to the previous year before significant items.

CCA announced that it had developed plans have been developed reflecting three broad Group strategic themes:

• Strengthening our category leadership position in each of our markets;
• Making a step change in our productivity and in-market execution; and
• Building better alignment with The Coca-Cola Company.

Australian Food News also reported in November 2014 that CCA had announced a Heads of Agreement with its parent company The Coca-Cola Company to accelerate CCA Indonesia’s growth strategy. The agreement will see The Coca-Cola Company invest US$500 million into the Indonesian business, which is a subsidiary of CCA, in return for an ordinary equity ownership interest of 29.4 per cent.

SPC leadership change

CCA also announced that Peter Kelly, Managing Director of SPC, will leave his role at the end of March 2015.

Mr Kelly has been with the Coca-Cola system for over 25 years, having worked with Coca-Cola South Pacific before joining CCA in 1993. During this time he has held various operational roles in many of CCA’s markets, including Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

“Peter took on the challenge to turnaround SPC two years ago and I am delighted with the job he’s done,” Ms Watkins said. “He has restored the confidence of consumers, customers and shareholders in this wonderful Australian company and leaves a strong leadership team who are well positioned to continue the positive momentum of SPC,” he said.

SPC Ardmona has faced a challenging few years, with issues around imported private label canned fruit having an impact on the SPC Ardmona business. Australian Food News reported earlier in January 2015 that the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission had announced a new investigation into the alleged dumping of preserved or prepared tomatoes into the Australian market, after a fresh application was lodged by SPC Ardmona. A separate earlier investigation found that a number of Italian tomato products had been dumped into the Australian market.

SPC Ardmona has launched a number of new products in recent years, as part of its turnaround. Australian Food News reported in December 2014 that SPC had launched Perfect Fruit, an innovative concept in frozen desserts, which SPC is “made from 100 per cent Australian grown fruit” but has the consistency of ice cream. In May 2014, Australian Food News reported that the Company had launched a new ‘Fruit and Chia’ spread range, which combines fruits with the ‘superfood’ chia seed, under its jams and conserves brand Henry Jones & Co. In August 2013, Australian Food News reported that SPC Ardmona had relaunched its baked beans range with “100 per cent Australian grown” branding.

“CCA is always conscious of the importance of succession and with talent available both within CCA and externally, I am confident that we will announce successors for both roles in the near future,” Ms Watkins said.

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