Coronado Eliminates Group COO Role, Giving Operations Oversight to Brett Holbrook and Shaun Newberry
Both interim appointees were already running operations in their own regions, making this a structural realignment rather than a search for outside talent.
September 11, 2026
Coronado Global Resources has dismantled its group chief operating officer position, replacing a single global operations head with two regional interim chiefs accountable for the US and Australian asset bases separately.
The Brisbane-based coal producer terminated Craig Manz’s employment as group COO by reason of redundancy on September 3, with the departure effective November 13. Manz will remain through that date to hand over. On September 8 the company restructured the role into two positions, with the stated aim of aligning operational performance at the asset level.
Two regional chiefs, both promoted from within
Brett Holbrook becomes interim chief operating officer for the US effective October 1. Holbrook, 66, has run US operations for Coronado since August 2021 and before that managed the Buchanan Mining Complex from March 2016 to July 2021, capping roughly 45 years across coal mining operations. His agreement sets base pay of US$416,000, with eligibility for the senior-executive incentive arrangements the company offers from time to time.
Shaun Newberry takes the equivalent Australian post, effective September 9. Newberry, 54, joined Coronado as head of Australian operations in June 2025 after a stretch at mining services contractor Thiess, where he served as executive general manager for operations across Australia and the Pacific and, earlier, as executive general manager for technical services. He has held directorships at Middlemount Coal, the Queensland Resources Council and RTL Mining and Earthworks, and brings about 34 years in the sector. His employment sits with Curragh Queensland Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary, at a base of AU$512,569.50 inclusive of statutory superannuation.
Contracts drawn along local lines
The two agreements diverge in ways that track their respective jurisdictions rather than the seniority of the roles:
- Holbrook — term to December 31, extending automatically each year unless either side gives notice by September 30; 16 weeks of continued base salary on termination without cause or resignation for good reason.
- Newberry — three months’ written notice from either party, or payment in lieu; no notice owed if Curragh terminates for cause; statutory Australian redundancy entitlements if the role is cut.
Both men carry one-year non-compete and non-solicitation covenants, though Holbrook’s restrictions fall away if he leaves for good reason. Coronado reported no family relationships or related-party transactions involving either appointee.
A layer removed, not replaced
Because both interim chiefs already ran their respective regions, day-to-day operational leadership at the mines does not change hands. What changes is the layer above it, which now reports in regionally rather than through a single global office. The reshuffle follows the company’s resolution of its own top-office succession earlier this year, when finance chief Barrie van der Merwe was elevated to chief executive.
