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SABMiller group, the world’s second largest
brewer, announced several senior management appointments on 14 January
2003. Tony van Kralingen, currently the Managing Director of
Plzensky Prazdroj a. s., will take over as Managing Director of The
South African Breweries Ltd (Beer South Africa), effective from 1
March 2003. He will replace Chairman and Managing Director Norman
Adami, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Miller
Brewing Company, the second largest brewer in the United States. Tony van
Kralingen will also become a member of the senior management of SABMiller
group, namely the group’s Executive Committee. SABMiller will announce the
name of the new Managing Director of Plzensky Prazdroj later.
Tony van Kralingen actively participated in the
work of a task group that made decisions on strategic plans of the South
African Breweries (SAB) on the world market during the mid 1990s.
Following extensive marketing research, the group then recommended
Plzensky Prazdroj with its Pilsner Urquell premium brand as the next
acquisition target of SAB in Europe. The Plzensky Prazdroj investment in
1999 was the biggest acquisition undertaken by SAB until then and it also
marked SAB’s entry onto the market of international beer brands – Pilsner
Urquell was selected as the flagship of the entire global group. Since
2000, Tony van Kralingen has been Managing Director of Plzensky Prazdroj.
A three-year tenure of Tony van Kralingen as
Plzensky Prazdroj’s Managing Director has brought a number of successes,
particularly the stabilisation of ownership relations in the largest Czech
brewery and the brewery’s dynamic development and growth. The share of the
company on the Czech beer market has increased by 4% to the current level
of 48%. Annual production of all Plzensky Prazdroj’s breweries rose by
almost 3 million hectolitres to 8 million hectolitres. At the same time,
sales abroad grew significantly, especially sales of the Pilsner Urquell
brand. The company’s profitability almost doubled and substantial
investments into manufacturing, environment protection, trade,
distribution and marketing, as well as use of international expertise and
efficient management methods, pushed Plzensky Prazdroj to an equal level
with the world’s best companies.
Tony van Kralingen admits that he accepted
his appointment with mixed feelings. The leaving Managing Director of
Plzensky Prazdroj said: “The past three years have brought me a lot of joy.
Plzensky Prazdroj has been a special place for me, one with enormous
tradition and especially with enthusiastic and talented employees. I am
convinced that the people in Plzeò, Velké Popovice, Nošovice, in the
marketing, trade and distribution departments, will continue to develop
the unique traditions of this company and will follow the successes of
Plzensky Prazdroj, which owns one of the most admired beer brands in the
world.”
Tony van Kralingen, 45, graduated in Social
Psychology at the University of Natal. Immediately after completing his
university studies in 1982, he joined South African Breweries where he
worked in various positions in Human Resources, Production (he was
Managing Director of a brewery in Prospecton with a production of over 5
million hectolitres) and Marketing. Tony van Kralingen has Irish and South
African citizenship (his father is Dutch and his mother is Irish). With
his wife Sharon he has two sons, James, 13, and Andrew, 11. His likes
sports and is active in golf, tennis, running and gymnastics. He likes to
watch football and rugby as a spectator.
Notes to the editor:
- With its annual output of almost 8 Mil. hectolitres and beer sold in
over 50 countries worldwide, Plzensky Prazdroj has become the Czech
Republic’s market leader as well as the biggest exporter of Czech beer.
The main beer brands of the company in the Czech Republic are Pilsner
Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast and Velkopopovicky Kozel.
- Plzensky Prazdroj employs 2,754 people in the Pilsen, Radegast and
Velke Popovice production plants and in 13 Sales and Distribution
Centres throughout the Czech Republic.
- The Plzensky Prazdroj group of associated companies also consists of
the Saris brewery, situated in Slovakia, which is number 2 in the Slovak
beer market. The Plzensky Prazdroj group represents the most significant
player in the Central and Eastern European beer industry.
- The Plzensky Prazdroj group is a member of SABMiller plc, the second
biggest player in the global beer market by size, which has made Pilsner
Urquell its international flagship brand.
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