Carlsberg UK CEO Julian Momen is to step down in March after two years at the helm of the beer giant.
Momen, who joined Carlsberg as CFO in 2012 after stints at Adelie Foods, General Mills and Diageo, will leave the company at the end of March 2019, to be replaced by Tomasz Blawat, who currently leads Carlsberg’s Polish operations.
The outgoing CEO had spearheaded Carlsberg’s revitalisation in the UK by “successfully shifting its focus to the marketing of a portfolio of premium brands”, said Carlsberg, with moves such as a major deal with US-based Brooklyn Brewery to distribute its beers in the UK, and the reimagining of Carlsberg Export.
Momen said: “I am extremely proud of the exciting journey we have been on over the last six years and, in particular, the last three as CEO.
“We have reshaped the business in a relatively short space of time and, more importantly, elevated our brands both inside and outside of our business with a portfolio which can support all customer and consumer needs. I would like to thank all of my team for their immense loyalty and support.”
His successor, Blawat, has headed up Carlsberg in Poland for the past six years. Before that, he held a number of general management and sales roles with the likes of SAB Miller and Procter & Gamble. He will join on 1 January, when a three-month transitionary period will begin.
The news makes Momen the latest UK drinks boss to hang up his hat as Brexit approaches. Both Diageo’s UK, France & Ireland GM Charles Ireland and Pernod Ricard’s UK CEO Laurent Pillet will bring their tenures to a close - Pillet is moving to head up Pernod’s Russian business, while Ireland’s plans are unclear.
AB InBev UK president Jason Warner, meanwhile, will step into a new, more expansive role as zone president Europe come January, as part of the Stella and Budweiser owner’s recent slew of organisational changes.
No comments yet