Anheuser-Busch InBev on Thursday named Michel Doukeris, the head of its North America Division, as its new CEO starting July, as the world's largest brewer seeks to drive beer sales in its global market.
Doukeris will replace Brazilian-born Carlos Brito, who is stepping down after more than 15 years as the head of the maker of Stella Artois and Budweiser beers and was considered as the architect of its global expansion strategy.
Here are some key facts about Doukeris:
* Born in Lages, Brazil, Doukeris has worked with AB InBev since 1996, moving from its Brazilian brewer AmBev's soft drinks arm in 2010.
* Doukeris joined to lead AB InBev's China business as President from 2010-2012, where he nearly doubled sales, followed by a promotion to Zone President, Asia Pacific region in 2012. He led the region for four years.
* From 2016-2017, Doukeris held the position of Global Chief Sales Officer of AB InBev, moving on to his current role as CEO of its North America division in 2018.
* Doukeris is credited with developing and implementing AB InBev's first direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and expanding the brewers "High-End" model to 22 countries, which boosted premium brand sales growth to 25% from 10%, according to a company profile https://www.ab-inbev.com/content/dam/abinbev/news-media/press-releases/2021/04/Doukeris%20Profile.pdf of Doukeris
* The group also credits Doukeris with generating more than $1 billion in revenue in the "Beyond Beer" category, which markets hard seltzer brands and is an area of growing focus for the company.
* In an interview with the CEO Forum Group in 2018, Doukeris said he was concerned about the planet, especially about water resources. "When I think about social impact, I think about what it means to me personally, what it means to us as a company, and how we can make a big difference through our brands."
* Doukeris, 48, holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Santa Catarina Federal University and a Master's degree from Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil. He has also completed post-graduate programmes from the Wharton School and Kellogg School of Management.
* He is currently based around the Greater New York City area and is married with two children.
News by Reuters edited by Donna Ahern, Checkout. For more drinks stories click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
