Drinks giant banks on West

SOFT drink heavyweight Coca-Cola Amatil has poached a senior Lion executive to take the helm of its struggling beverage business in Australia.

Peter West will join Coca-Cola Amatil in the first half of next year as managing director of its Australian beverages division.

He will replace Peter McLoughlin, who took on the job nine months ago after Barry O’Connell stepped down less than three years into the role.

Mr West is managing direc- tor of the dairy and drinks unit at Lion — a major player in the Australian beer, juice and dairy industries — which is owned by Japanese beverage company Kirin.

It comes at a critical time for Coca-Cola Amatil, which has suffered a slide in earnings as consumers increasingly abandon fizzy drinks in favour of healthier alternatives.

The appointment also comes amid growing calls for Australia to adopt a Britishstyle tax on sugary drinks.

In a statement to the Aus- tralian Securities Exchange yesterday, Coca-Cola Amatil managing director Alison Watkins said Mr West had a “deep understanding of our industry and the Australian market”.

One of his priorities would be working to deliver the “Accelerated Australian Growth Plan” unveiled by Coca-Cola Amatil at an investor day last month, Ms Watkins said.

The group last month announced plans to spend $40 million to strengthen its competitive hand.