Wesfarmers sees Coles role for former Asda chief

SYDNEY, April 30 (Reuters) - Australia's Wesfarmers Ltd. (WES.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) confirmed it was in talks with Archie Norman, who helped revive British supermarket chain Asda, as it pursues a A$19.7 billion ($16 billion) bid for retailer Coles Group Ltd. CGJ.AX.

Wesfarmers Chief Executive Richard Goyder said Norman, who led a transformation of Asda's retail businesses in the 1990s, had been in Australia recently for discussions.

"I envisage Archie will have a very senior advisory role by being actively engaged in the entity we propose to set up to own and manage the Coles supermarkets, liquor, petrol and general merchandising businesses," Goyder said in a statement.

The precise nature of Norman's role had yet to finalised. Goyder noted another former Asda executive, and more recently a Coles executive, Steven Cain, was also closely involved through his role with bid consortium member Pacific Equity Partners

(PEP).

Conglomerate Wesfarmers, whose businesses include hardware stores, insurance and coal mines, is battling a private equity consortium led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts [KKR.UL].

Coles rival Woolworths (WOW.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) has also said it is interested in some parts of the Coles business.

Under its proposal, Wesfarmers would own 50 percent of Coles' core businesses, with the remainder held by its consortium partners, private equity firms PEP and Permira and Macquarie Bank Ltd. MBL.AX.