Michael Courtney has been appointed as the new CEO of Coles Liquor, effective July.

Courtney is the former chief of Coles Express and lead the business for four years. He replaces Darren Blackhurt, who resigned last month in order to return to the UK to be with his family.

In a LinkedIn post, Courtney said he is “excited” to take on the role, adding “providing an exceptional drinks experience for customers is key to Coles Group’s strategy”.

“We’ve got three really strong brands in the liquor business Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market and Vintage Cellars and they each cater to a variety of customer missions and give us the opportunity to really differentiate in the market.”

Coles CEO Leah Weckert described Courtney as “exceptionally well-placed to lead liquor in delivering the strategy and transformation plans underway”.