Costa Coffee appoints Matthew Sisk as its new Chief Financial Officer and sets September start date
Costa Coffee has announced the appointment of two new members to its global executive leadership team, following the retirement of its previous Chief People Officer and the move of its former Chief Financial Officer to Head of Investor Relations at the company's owner The Coca Cola Company.
Matthew Sisk will join as Chief Financial Officer on 1st September, leading the global finance team. He brings international experience from across the Coca‑Cola system, most recently serving as CFO for Japan and South Korea.
Jez Langhorn has taken on the role of Chief People Officer, bringing HR leadership experience from Starbucks North America, Global Partners, and McDonald’s.
A Costa Coffee spokesperson said: "We were delighted to welcome both leaders this week to meet some of the Costa Coffee team, and we look forward to the impact their leadership and experience will bring."
Ed Child
Ed Child recently left Costa Coffee where he spent the past five years, serving as Global Head Consumer Data & Digital Analytics.
In a LinkedIn post, Child, who has also worked at Studio Retail, Asda, and Walmart, said: "Well, five years has flown by and my time at Costa Coffee has come to a close. It's been an absolute blast and looking back, am super proud on what we have achieved in the consumer, digital, data and AI space in global digital."
Highlights, he added, have included founding and leading the Costa Data and Analytics Community (CDAC) and bringing data employees together across the business. Also, championing data apprenticeships and watching colleagues develop and flourish with Level 4 through to Level 7.
Child commented: "Living in Yorkshire and working in London has been great, and feel I made the most of my London time. However looking forward to a new role closer to home and more to share on that soon."
"Finally, a massive thank you to everyone at Costa over the years. Importantly, I couldn't have done this without my amazing team, will miss you loads and know you'll go on to do amazing things at Costa and beyond. Thank you for all your support and hard work, you should be super proud of collectively what you've achieved. Onwards to the next data/AI adventure."
Milestone
Costa Coffee recently reported a milestone in its UK property strategy, opening its 400th drive-thru store (in Norwich) as the format plays a key role in the evolution of its retail estate.
Costa Coffee lays claim to being the UK’s largest drive-thru coffee operator and plans to open up to 40 new such stores across the UK in 2026.
Nick Ridley, Property & Store Development Director, said: “Drive-thrus are one of the fastest-growing parts of our retail estate, and play an important role in meeting changing customer missions. For many customers it’s about convenience - grabbing a coffee on the commute, during the school run or while travelling.”
Costa Coffee currently operates more than 2,800 stores in the UK, spanning high streets, retail parks, shopping centres, transport hubs and drive-thru locations. Over the past year, its has refurbished more than 110 high street locations and over 100 stores in shopping centres and retail parks.
“Our coffee shops remain central to the Costa Coffee experience,” Ridley said. “Drive-thrus are not a replacement for the high street - they complement our wider estate by serving different moments in a customer’s day and helping us reach customers where they want us to be.”
The first UK drive-thru store opened in 2011. Data from Allegra indicates the number of drive-thru coffee sites in the UK has grown by 6.7% over the last 12 months, with nearly 50% of consumers ordering coffee from one in 2025, as operators back convenience led formats. A majority of Costa Coffee’s drive-thru sites are situated alongside a full coffee shop, providing flexibility for customers who want to sit in or take away.
“Developing drive-thru sites requires navigating a range of challenges, from securing suitable roadside locations to managing planning constraints, rising construction costs, and timelines which can often extend to several years,” said Ridley. “Competition for prime sites remains intense, with multiple operators targeting the same high quality locations, placing upward pressure on rents and increasing the importance of early site identification and strong partner relationships.”
“Our network planning shows there are still strong opportunities for drive-thrus across the UK,” he added. “We continue to actively seek new locations and work closely with partners to bring forward the right sites.”
