Fri 7th Jun 2019 - Costa Coffee promotes Neil Lake to UK and Ireland managing director as Cotta steps down Costa Coffee promotes Neil Lake to UK and Ireland managing director as Cotta steps down: Costa Coffee, which is owned by Coca-Cola, has promoted Neil Lake to the role of managing director of its UK and Ireland division. Lake joined Costa Coffee in September as retail and operations director, relocating from Australia where he most recently worked as a senior executive for Coles Supermarket. With a career spanning retail operations, store development, merchandise and general management, Lake’s appointment follows the resignation of Jason Cotta, who worked for Costa Coffee for more than eight years. Cotta is leaving to take up an unnamed chief executive role and will finish at the end of June, with Lake starting on 1 July. Costa Coffee chief executive Dominic Paul said: “Neil brings extensive strategic and operational experience at global level, with a strong track record of driving sustainable results. Following our recent sale to The Coca Cola Company, this is an incredibly exciting time for Costa Coffee, especially within the UK and Ireland, where we are focused on unlocking a new phase of growth and further enhancing our customer experience. Neil is perfectly positioned to lead the UK and Ireland team, leveraging his depth of retail experience and passion for Costa’s customers and team members.” Lake added: “Costa Coffee is a growing global business and I’m excited for the opportunity to work to simplify, invest and grow the UK and Ireland market, focusing on our customer experience, teams, partners and channel innovation.” Costa Coffee has more than 2,600 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,300 in 32 overseas markets. There are also now more than 8,000 Costa Express self-serve machines in the UK.