Alan Clark to become CEO of SABMiller in 2013

Proven right again. As early as 2007 in an article called "The candidate" BRAUWELT International predicted that Alan Clark, currently Managing Director of SABMiller Europe, would be the most likely person to succeed Graham Mackay as CEO of SABMiller, once Mr Mackay chooses to take on a non-executive role with the brewer.

Those supposedly in the know muttered then, no, Mr Mackay would be replaced by whoever happens to head the brewer’s South African business, since SABMiller’s income from South Africa is much bigger than that from Europe.

But here you go: SABMiller on 23 April 2012 announced a series of directorate and senior management changes, which again underline how well the brewer manages its succession by promoting its own, yet without falling prey to the "youth cult" afflicting other companies.

In its statement SABMiller said that Meyer Kahn,72, who first joined the group in 1966, and who has been Chairman of SABMiller since its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1999, will retire as Chairman after 46 years of service with the Group.

Graham Mackay, 62, who joined the group in 1978 and who has been Group Managing Director since 1997 and Chief Executive since 1999, will become Executive Chairman, with the intention that he will continue in that role for one year, before becoming Non-Executive Chairman at the annual general meeting in 2013.

Alan Clark, 52, will be appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the Group and as an Executive Director, with the intention that he will succeed Graham Mackay as CEO at the Annual General Meeting in 2013.

Sue Clark, 47, who joined the Group in 2003 and is currently SABMiller’s Director of Corporate Affairs, will replace Mr Clark as Managing Director of SABMiller Europe. Her successor will be announced in due course.

This makes Ms Clark the first woman among global brewers to hold such a position.

All these changes will become effective from this year’s Annual General Meeting on 26 July 2012.

Dr Alan Clark was appointed Managing Director, SABMiller Europe in 2003. He has a MA in clinical psychology and obtained a doctorate in literature and philosophy from the University of South Africa. Before leaving academia to set up his own private practice in clinical psychology, he became an associate professor at the Centre for Cognitive Development at Vista University in South Africa. Dr Clark joined SAB in 1990 as Training and Development Manager, before becoming a General Manager at the Alrode brewery in Johannesburg. He went on to serve as Operations Director and then as Marketing Director for SAB before being appointed CEO of SABMiller’s soft drinks operations in South Africa. Photo: SABMiller