Australia: Foster’s keeps replacing top managers in beer division

John Pollaers, the nominated chief executive of the Foster's stand-alone beer business, will lead a fresh team of sales executives to revive the flagging fortunes of its beer brands in the eastern states following the resignation of a veteran Carlton & United Breweries sales manager, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on January, 13.

Robert Priest has resigned as general manager of sales for the company's beer division in New South Wales. The Foster's executive of 11 years left the group last week. It is believed a replacement will be announced soon.

Mr Priest's departure completes a clean sweep of sales managers for the eastern states, allowing Mr Pollaers to appoint his own candidates to drum up sales for CUB beers in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. The eastern states make up roughly 75 per cent of CUB's beer business.

Since the appointment of Mr Pollaers to the CUB beer division last April, he has appointed Cameron Levick to oversee sales in Queensland and Craig Cooper to run the division in Victoria - the most important market for the Foster's VB brand - and Tasmania.

Mr Priest's unexpected departure now allows Mr Pollaers to hire a general manager of sales for NSW, accelerating the cultural shift at Foster's as it prepares for its historic demerger this year.

More details of the split of the company's beer and wine operations may be revealed at the announcement of the half-year results next month, its last financial results as a diverse beverages company.

Mr Pollaers has made it clear that CUB needs to break with the past, embrace the reality of brewing in a competitive national landscape and be able to adapt quickly to changes in consumer tastes.

Foster's last month confirmed the chief executives and directors who will lead its demerged companies if shareholders approve the spin-off of its wine assets from its beer operations. Mr Pollaers will be CEO of the pure-beer Foster's company, and David Dearie, the Australian and New Zealand wine manager, will run the new sector, Treasury Wine Estates.

14 January, 2011