Inge Plochaet

Inge Plochaet will leave at the end of the year

ABInBev UK and Ireland President Inge Plochaet is to leave the business at the end of the year.

Plochaet, who has been in the role for three years, is to be replaced by Steve McAllister, currently serving as president of the company’s GISAS (Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria) business unit.

“We are sorry to advise that Inge Plochaet will be leaving the company to pursue other career interests,” the Stella Artois and Budweiser brewer said in a statement. “For more then 20 years, Inge has achieved great results in our supply, sales and commercial organizations and, as business unit president over the past three years, has made lasting contributions to our UK & Ireland business.”

“Steve McAllister brings with him over 20 years of experience in our business and has worked across many different markets including UK and Ireland, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the UK.”

In her time heading up the UK business, Plochaet has worked to move ABInBev’s major beer brands away from their dependence on promotions.

Speaking to The Grocer last year, she said: “Our promotional participation was at too high a level and we’ve taken the strategic choice to significantly bring that down. Of course, that comes with consequences such as revenue, market share and volume in the short term, leading to something more sustainable in the long term.”

Stella Artois sales have risen 0.7% in the past year to £492.4m [Nielsen 52w/e 26 April 2014].