As of October Kompania Piwowarska, leader of the Polish beer market, part of the SABMiller group, will be headed by its new President: Robert Priday. The current KP’s CEO Gary Haigh has been appointed as Managing Director of SABMiller’s British subsidiary – Miller Brands UK.

Robert Priday, currently President of SABMiller’s Peruvian subsidiary, Backus, will take over the position of President of Kompania Piwowarska in October 2011. He joins Kompania Piwowarska from Peru, where he has held the position of Managing Director since 2006. He started his international career with SABMiller in Poland in 1997 when he was responsible for the integration of the Tyskie company into SABMiller, with specific focus on commercial and supply chain. He was also involved in the merger of the Tychy brewery with its counterpart in Poznan and thus becoming the co-founder of Kompania Piwowarska.

Rob left Poland in 1999 when he was appointed as Managing Director of Slovakia, and then moved to Honduras where he was Managing Director of that operation for 4 years, before joining our business in Peru. He has 29 years’ service in SABMiller in South Africa, Europe and Latin America, in functional, commercial and general management roles.

Backus is Peru’s market leader; despite strong price competition the company has over time significantly increased its market share to 92 per cent. It operates 5 breweries and 2 soft drink plants.

Gary Haigh, currently President of Kompania Piwowarska, has been appointed as Managing Director of Miller Brands UK, a British subsidiary of the group. Gary Haigh will assume the role in mid-September 2011.

Gary Haigh was appointed as Managing Director (later as President) of Kompania Piwowarska in June 2009. During his time, KP delivered record financial results in extremely difficult economic conditions and during this period the company was also re-organised to meet the changing aspects of the Polish consumer and retail