Fuel retailer Caltex has announced the appointment of Matthew Halliday as chief financial officer, starting 15 April, replacing the outgoing Simon Hepworth.

Halliday brings prior experience in senior finance and commercial roles across ASX-listed and professional services organisations, having held a CFO role across several divisions of mining company Rio Tinto during his near-20-year career employed there, including Rio Tinto Energy, Rio Tinto Coal Australia, and Rio Tinto Aluminium.

“Matthew has significant executive experience managing complex, global and transformative finance and commercial issues,” Caltex Australia chief executive Julian Segal said.

“His experience in [mergers and acquisitions], capital management, joint ventures and transformation sets him up well to make a positive contribution to the delivery of the Caltex strategy.”

Caltex previously noted its intention to lean further into the its 15-year partnership with supermarket giant Woolworths, which will see 10-12 Metro convenience sites opened.

Four Metro sites are expected to open in the first half of 2019, with a larger roll-out occurring in the second half of the year.

However, the business later said it expects to see a 14 per cent drop in EBIT for its fuel and infrastructure category to $560 million to $580 million in its 2018 results, compared to $666 million in 2017, and convenience EBIT of between $295 and $305 million – also below the $334 million seen the year prior.

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