Estonia: Veli Pekka Tennilä replaces Ireneusz Piotr Smaga as chairman of the management board and CEO at Saku Õlletehas

Veli Pekka Tennilhä has replaced Ireneusz Piotr Smaga as chairman of the management board and CEO at Estonia’s largest brewery Saku Õlletehas, the company’s official site announced on August 12.

As it was reported, Smaga whose contract expired in August had decided to leave Saku Brewery to spend more time with his family in Poland.

39-year-old Veli Pekka Tennilä joins Saku from Sinebrychoff, where he started in 2001 as Marketing Manager for all beer brands and in 2006 became Export Director responsible for Sinebrychoff's export business to some 30 countries.

Saku Olletehas (Saku Brewery) has been established in 1820, and is currently the largest producer of beer and other beverages in Estonia, with 46% share in beer market. Saku's core brands are Saku Originaal (the most popular beer on the Estonian market), Kuld, Rock, On Ice etc. Saku Brewery is also the market leader in product development, providing local consumers with an increasing number of contemporary and new domestic beer products as well as other beverages. Carlsberg Group through Carlsberg Estonia Holding is the majority shareholder of Saku Brewery (over 92% stake).

Carlsberg Baltic is a clear leader of the Baltic beer market with a 44 % consolidated share, offering a wide range of beer brands and other beverages. Carlsberg Baltic is managing 3 biggest Baltic brewing companies - "Svyturys-Utenos alus" in Lithuania, "Aldaris" in Latvia and "Saku" in Estonia.

14 August, 2008