Coates leaves Woolies

WOOLWORTHS executive Julie Coates has quit the company after more than 12 years in senior roles.

WOOLWORTHS executive Julie Coates has quit the company after more than 12 years in senior roles including five years as boss of discount department store Big W.

The company said Ms Coates, who moved from Big W in late 2013 to steer an overhaul of the company’s supply chain as director of business transformation, was leaving to pursue other career opportunities.

During her time at Woolworths Ms Coates also served as head of human resources and chief logistics officer.

Ms Coates will leave Woolworths in coming months but will remain on the board of the company’s hardware joint venture with US home improvement giant Lowe’s until the end of the year.

Woolworths has yet to announce who will take over from Ms Coates on Project Mercury 2, a logistics overhaul the company says will underpin its growth in online retailing.