LONDON & DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 makes 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. He has the confidence of our most important stakeholders, including employees, distributors, and investors. We already have a strong leadership team in place at MillerCoors, and now we have the right interim CEO to lead us through this transition,” remarked Alan Clark, Deputy Chairman and CEO, SABMiller.
Hattersley will continue as CFO of Molson Coors while serving as interim head of the US business.
“Gavin is uniquely qualified to hold 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.”
Prior to his current role, Hattersley served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for MillerCoors, where he was recognized for establishing strong financial management and commercial disciplines for the business unit. Previously, he 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 favorites 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 hectoliters of lager, soft drinks and other alcoholic beverages, generating group net producer revenue of US$26,719 million and EBITA of US$6,460 million (restated).
Overview of Molson Coors
Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world's beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Staropramen and Blue Moon across The Americas, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the US through MillerCoors; across Europe through Molson Coors Europe; and outside these core markets through Molson Coors International. The company has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the past four years and was named global Beverage Sector Leader in 2012 and 2013. Molson Coors is constantly looking for ways to improve its Beer Print. For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company visit the company's website, www.molsoncoors.com.
