Coles Group’s chief technology officer Mike Sackman is exiting the grocery retailer after a year spent in the role.
A spokesperson for the retailer confirmed Sackman is leaving. His interim replacement is Coles’ chief operating officer Matt Swindells.
Sackman joined at the start of March 2025 having held CIO roles at UK retailers including John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose and Argos.
Coles Group said at the time that Sackman’s “30 years of technology leadership” and “deep passion for driving technology transformation” made him well-suited to the Australian role.
It’s understood that Sackman is returning to his native UK. Coles did not make comment on the timing of his departure.
A Coles spokesperson told iTnews that in his time with the retailer, Sackman “helped shape our technology agenda in support of our 3D strategy, with a strong focus on practical outcomes for customers and our teams.”
The 3D strategy refers to making Coles a “destination for food and drink”, digital acceleration and consistent delivery.
The spokesperson said Sackman had also supported “the rollout of tools like ChatGPT Enterprise and Copilot to help make everyday tasks easier and improve the quality of work.”
Additionally, Sackman “improved our cyber security capability and awareness, strengthening how we protect customer and team member data, keep our stores and online running smoothly, and build trust in our business,” the spokesperson said.
Sackman was brought in after former CTO John Cox left in a technology leadership reshuffle at the end of 2024.
Cox led the technology function for over three-and-a-half years, and was a former Australia Post and NAB IT executive.
