7th May 2015 13:30
MillerCoors Board Names Gavin Hattersley Interim CEO
Current Molson Coors CFO to Hold Dual Roles as Search is Finalised
The Board of Directors of MillerCoors, the U.S. and Puerto Rican joint venture between SABMiller plc (LN:SAB; OTC:SABMRY) and Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: TAP; TSX: TPX), today named Gavin Hattersley to the role of interim Chief Executive Officer to lead the business when current CEO Tom Long retires June 30, 2015. Hattersley, 52, currently Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Molson Coors and former CFO of MillerCoors, will serve as interim CEO for up to six months until the Board completes its search for a permanent successor.
"Gavin is an outstanding and trusted leader with ideal qualifications for the role. He has extensive beer industry knowledge and experience in the U.S. and on the global stage. His unique experience of having held top leadership positions with both parent companies and MillerCoors make him the right choice to take the business forward with integrity and a strong sense of purpose, " noted Pete Coors, Chairman of MillerCoors and Molson Coors.
"Gavin is an excellent choice to lead MillerCoors through this transition," remarked Alan Clark, Deputy Chairman and CEO, SABMiller. "He has the respect and confidence of the MillerCoors Board as well as our most important stakeholders, including employees, distributors, and investors."
Hattersley will continue as CFO of Molson Coors while serving as interim head of the US business.
"Gavin is uniquely qualified to holding both roles," said Mark Hunter, CEO, Molson Coors. "Molson Coors won't miss a beat because we have a strong bench of leadership and a highly capable finance team that will ensure our focus on financial strategy, reporting excellence, and creating shareholder value remain strong."
Prior to his current role, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for MillerCoors, where he was recognised for establishing strong financial management and commercial disciplines for the business unit. Previously, Hattersley was senior vice president, finance, for Miller Brewing Company. He came to Miller from SAB Limited in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he held several financial management positions before becoming CFO in 1999. Prior to joining SAB Limited, he spent almost 10 years at Barloworld Limited.
"As a Board member, I have remained very close to the MillerCoors business," said Hattersley. "MillerCoors has a wonderfully rich portfolio of brands and the passionate commitment of more than 8,000 employees and I am ready to dive in and collaborate with MillerCoors' leaders and distributor partners to grow our business."
Overview of MillerCoors
Through its diverse collection of storied breweries, MillerCoors brings American beer drinkers an unmatched selection of the highest quality beers steeped in centuries of brewing heritage. Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company offer domestic favourites such as Coors Light, Miller Lite, Miller High Life and Coors Banquet. Tenth and Blake Beer Company, our craft and import division, offers beers such as Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy from sixth-generation Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and Blue Moon Belgian White from modern craft pioneer Blue Moon Brewing Company, which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. Tenth and Blake also operates Crispin Cidery, an artisanal maker of pear and apple ciders using fresh-pressed American juice. The company imports world-renowned beers such as Italy's Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the Czech Republic's Pilsner Urquell and the Netherlands' Grolsch. MillerCoors also offers pioneering new brands such as the Redd's franchise, Redd's Wicked and Smith & Forge Hard Cider. MillerCoors seeks to become America's best beer company through an uncompromising promise of quality, a keen focus on innovation and a deep commitment to sustainability. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Learn more at MillerCoors.com, at facebook.com/MillerCoors or on Twitter through @MillerCoors.
Overview of SABMiller
SABMiller plc is in the beer and soft drinks business. We are the world's second largest brewing company and are one of the world's largest bottlers of Coca-Cola drinks. We also produce a portfolio of wholly-owned soft drinks brands. We are a FTSE-20 company, with shares trading on the London Stock Exchange, and we have a secondary listing on the Johannesburg stock exchange. We operate in more than 80 countries with around 70,000 employees. The group's brand portfolio includes leading local brands such as Aguila (Colombia), Castle (South Africa), Miller Lite (USA), Snow (China), Victoria Bitter (Australia) and Tyskie (Poland) as well as global brands such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch. Every minute of every day, more than 140,000 bottles of SABMiller beer are sold.
In the year ended 31 March 2014, the group sold 318 million hectolitres of lager, soft drinks and other alcoholic beverages, generating group net producer revenue of US$26,719 million and EBITA of US$6,453 million.
Overview of Molson Coors
Molson Coors Brewing Company is one of the world's largest brewers. The Company's operating segments include Canada, the United States, Europe, and Molson Coors International (MCI). The Company has a diverse portfolio of owned and partner brands, including signature brands Carling, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Molson Canadian and Staropramen. Molson Coors is listed on the 2014/2015 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (W1SGITRD), the most recognized global benchmark of sustainability among global corporations. For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company, visit the company's website, www.molsoncoors.com.
Notes to editors
This announcement is available on the company website: www.sabmiller.com
Further information is also available on:
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www.twitter.com/sabmiller
www.youtube.com/sabmiller
Enquiries
SABMiller plc |
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T: +44 20 7659 0100 |
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Richard Farnsworth | Christina Mills | Gary Leibowitz |
Business Media Relations Manager | Director, Group Communicationsand Reputation | Director,Investor Engagement |
SABMiller plc | SABMiller plc | SABMiller plc |
T +44 20 7659 0188 T +44 7734 776 317 | T +44 20 7659 0105
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This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire securities of SABMiller plc (the "Company") or any of its affiliates in any jurisdiction or an inducement to enter into investment activity.
This document includes "forward-looking statements". These statements may contain the words "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "expect" and words of similar meaning. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to the Company's products and services) are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company's present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Any information contained in this announcement on the price at which the Company's securities have been bought or sold in the past, or on the yield on such securities, should not be relied upon as a guide to future performance.
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