SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) announced on Dec. 2 the appointment of GrainCorp Chief Executive Officer Alison Watkins as group managing director. 

Watkins is expected to join CCA on March 3, 2014. GrainCorp said on Dec. 2 that Watkins announced she was resigning, just days after Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey said he would not allow Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to buy GrainCorp. Watkins is helping with the transition to new leadership at GrainCorp, and is expected to leave the company at the end of January 2014.

CCA is one of the largest bottlers of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the world’s top five Coca-Cola bottlers.

CCA Chairman David Gonski said Watkins skills and background will help CCA to deliver strong performance outcomes.

“The board is confident that Alison’s leadership credentials and focus on excellence position her well to drive further development and growth across the CCA Group,” he said.

Watkins said, “I am excited by this opportunity. I believe my career and experience to date puts me in an excellent position to lead CCA in its next chapter of growth, building on the successes achieved under the leadership of Terry Davis.”

Prior to her role at GrainCorp she had a number of executive roles including CEO of Berri Limited, the market leader in the Australian juice sector at the time, and is a former partner of McKinsey & Company. She was formerly a non-executive director of Woolworths Limited and is currently a non-executive director of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.

As a direct result of her appointment as the new group managing director of CCA, Watkins intends to resign from her non-executive directorship of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited in April 2014.