Caroline O'Brien has been appointed as the General Manager of Data and Intelligence at Coles, leading the supermarket giant's Data, Advanced Analytics, and Innovation teams within Coles' Technology function.

She succeeds Silvio Giorgio, who exits the business after three years to become GM of Data Intelligence at REA Group.

O'Brien previously spent seven years at global AI software and services company Afiniti for over seven years, where she held the positions of Chief Data Officer and Head of Product, overseeing AI-driven innovation and product development for large enterprise clients.

O'Brien's background also includes a five-year tenure as a research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. She started in Australia as an analyst at Macquarie before two years at Commonwealth Bank in data science.

O'Brien's career began in Australia as an analyst at Macquarie, followed by two years at Commonwealth Bank in data science.

O'Brien is set to commence the new role on February 17.