Anthony Abdallah has been appointed Chairman of Independent Liquor Retailers.

He succeeds John Krnc, who has stepped down from the role but will continue to serve as a board member of ILR.

Abdallah became a Director of ILR in 2017 and has an extensive liquor career, including 16 years at Metcash. 

Corey Leeson, ILR’s General Manager, said: “Anthony, who is the Chief Commercial and Procurement Officer of ILR’s Alliance Partner, Australian United Retailers (Foodworks), is a great fit for this role and was unanimously elected at the last ILR Board meeting.

“Anthony has decades of industry experience, previously with Metcash and holds an MBA as well as being a CPA and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

“The appointment of Anthony solidifies the alignment of our two companies and ILR looks forward to an exciting future under Anthony’s Chairmanship.”

ILR unveiled its three-year plan to members at its annual conference in Tasmania in October 2018. It revealed it would continue to grow its private label portfolio, which includes a new craft beer brand, Bulletin Brewing Co.

Other key pillars include shifting to a new digital-first promotional strategy, an investment in the latest data analytics, and an aggressive push into the Queensland market.