Efes CEO departs

Big changes afoot at Anadolu Efes. The beer and soft drink group announced on 21 November 2016 that Robin Michael Goetzsche, 55, who has served as its President and CEO since November 2015, will be leaving his position as of 31 December 2016. According to the statement, Mr Goetzsche resigned for personal reasons.

A member of the South African Goetzsche family, which merged its Coke bottling operations with SABMiller’s in 2014, Mr Goetzsche is a SABMiller veteran. Joining SAB in 1989, he held various positions, including Managing Director of Tanzania Breweries (SABMiller) between 2009 and 2014, before spending a year as Managing Director of Efes Russia Beer Group.

Insiders say his position as CEO was weakened earlier this year when SABMiller imposed upon Efes a reorganisation of the group, awarding greater power to local fiefs and the group’s CFO.

Mr Goetzsche will be succeeded by John Gavin Hudson, another SABMiller veteran, who has been serving as Managing Director of Efes Russia.

Efes Russia’s CFO Roy Alan Cornish will be appointed as acting Managing Director of Efes Russia, in addition to retaining his current position.

Mr Hudson joined SABMiller South Africa in 1992, according to the statement.