New year, new leaders: here are some of the people taking on new roles in the beverage industry in 2021.
Jasmin Allen has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Hennessy US.
Embarking on the new role last month, Allen is leading the Hennessy business for Moët Hennessy USA. She will serve as the highest-ranking Black executive at Moet Hennessy USA and one of the few female executives in this role within the spirits industry.
Allen began her career at Moët Hennessy in 2016 as Brand Director, Belvedere. After a stint at BET as Vice President, Brand Strategy & Marketing, Allen returned to Moët Hennessy as Vice President of Moët & Chandon. Her previous roles have included those with The Coca-Cola Company and T-Mobile.
“In her role as Senior Vice President, Hennessy, Allen will leverage her strategic marketing and brand leadership skills as well as her extensive industry network to drive the Hennessy component of our 2030 Strategy,” says the company. “Jasmin will lead the Hennessy team in strategy, execution and programming to expand the brand’s consumer base and convert existing customers to more elevated expressions of the brand.”
Ian Ellington, SVP and Chief Category Officer, PepsiCo Europe, has been elected president of UNESDA, Soft Drinks Europe.
The organisation represents the non-alcoholic drinks industry in Europe, and Ellington takes up his two-year mandate this month. He takes on the presidency from Tim Brett of The Coca-Cola Company.
Ellington says UNESDA faces a full agenda over the coming years as it looks to drive further progress in the areas of circularity and responsibility.
”UNESDA has upheld the interests of our industry for more than 60 years and taken bold, EU-wide initiatives in the areas of sustainable packaging, sugar reduction and responsibility towards children,” said Ellington.
“I look forward to leading our sector as we commit to further actions in each of these areas: supporting the EU commitment to a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050 through creating circularity for soft drinks packaging; continuing our sugar and calorie reduction journey that has seen an average 26% reduction in calories in soft drinks in recent years; and strengthening our commitments to behave responsibly towards children through our advertising and schools policies.”
Europe’s soft drinks industry has a €185 billion supply chain; supports over 1.7 million jobs and delivers almost €30 billion in tax contributions to EU member states. There are some 424 soft drinks production and bottling plants right across Europe supplied with ingredients by over 137,000 arable farms and growers.
Ian Ellington leads the Marketing and Insights function for PepsiCo Europe across its snacks, beverages and nutrition businesses. Prior to his current role, Ian was General Manager of PepsiCo in the UK. Ian joined PepsiCo in 2008 from Mars Confectionery where he worked in marketing, sales and strategy roles in both the UK and Europe.
Monster Beverage Corporation has announced that Hilton H. Schlosberg has been elected by the Board of Directors of the Company as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Schlosberg will serve as Co-Chief Executive Officer together with Rodney C. Sacks, who has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company since 1990.
Schlosberg resigned from his positions as President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of the Company. Sacks will continue as Chairman of the Board and Schlosberg will continue as Vice Chairman of the Board.
Thomas J. Kelly has been elected by the Board as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, succeeding Schlosberg.
Schlosberg has held senior leadership positions with Monster for over 30 years, including as the company’s Chief Financial Officer for over 23 years, and has served as a co-leader of the company with Sacks. Kelly has been Executive Vice President, Finance, and/or Controller and Secretary of Monster Energy Company since 1992.
Kathryn Mikells (‘Kathy’), Chief Financial Officer at Diageo, will leave the company at the end of June 2021. Lavanya Chandrashekar, currently Chief Financial Officer, Diageo North America and Global Head of Investor Relations, will take on the role on July 1.
Kathy joined Diageo from the Xerox Corporation in November 2015 and has also served on the Diageo Executive Committee and Diageo plc Board. She will return to the US after almost six years as CFO in London.
Lavanya Chandrashekar joined Diageo in July 2018 as Chief Financial Officer, Diageo North America. In this role, she has partnered to drive the acceleration of growth in Diageo’s North American business and, subsequently, has taken on accountability for Investor Relations globally.
Lavanya previously spent four and a half years at Mondelēz International in various senior finance positions in North America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to Mondelēz International, Lavanya spent 18 years at Procter & Gamble in senior finance positions in India, Asia, Europe and North America.
Diageo brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Cider Australia has welcomed a new president, Warwick Billings of LOBO Cider.
He replaces Sam Reid of Tasmania’s Willie Smith’s Cider Makers, who has stepped down after six and a half years as President of Cider Australia and one year as Vice President.
Warwick joined the Executive team in 2014 as Vice President and chair of the policy and technical working group and more recently also took on the role of Chief Steward of the Australian Cider Awards.
Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.
“I am proud to have led the charge to establish a sustainable craft cider category in Australia, navigating the ongoing challenge of policy and legislative reform while establishing a marketable 100% Australian Grown cider brand,” said outgoing president Sam Reid.
“Joining forces with Wine Australia through the Export and Regional Wine Support Package Cider Program has been a highlight over the past few years and has enabled our vision for the industry to come to life.”
Véronique Vuillod has been named as Chief Human Resources Officer for Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP).
CCEP, the largest Coca-Cola bottler, employs more than 23,000 people across 13 countries in Western Europe.
Vuillod has held the position of vice president human resources in France for CCEP for the last six years; and is credited in creating a culture built on the skills of employees; encouraging wellbeing at work; and promoting diversity.
Prior to that she was director of human resources supply chain France. She has worked for CCEP for more than 20 years, in which time she has occupied posts across from talent management to social relations.
Vuillod replaces Nick Wall, who has retired after 35 years with Coca-Cola.
