LONDON 14 May: SBFE has made two changes to its executive leadership team with the appointment of Alexis Daems as Chief Operating Officer for France, and Alina Nickolson as Chief Operating Officer for EECM-Benelux.

Alexis, who has been with the Suntory Group for 14 years, replaces Pierre Decroix, who was recently promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, to whom he will report.

I am particularly pleased to be taking over the reins of a company that is rooted in the French regions, with 4 factories and historic brands to which consumers are very attached. I am keen to continue the work begun by my predecessor, by reconciling the pleasure that is the hallmark of our beverages and our corporate culture, with the responsibility we have towards our communities and our ecosystem. Surrounded by a team guided by our “Yatte Minahare” value - which encourages us to dream big and take on challenges - and our “Gemba” mindset - which advocates proximity to the field - I am confident in our ability to satisfy our customers and consumers even more, and in our commitment to collectively build a sustainable growth model, true to our “Growing for Good” value.

Alexis Daems

After working in marketing and sales positions for 11 years, in 2009, he joined the Suntory group. In 2015, he became Managing Director of Frucor Suntory Australia (Sydney), before taking up the position of Sales Director for the Oceania region for 18 months in 2018. In May 2020, Alexis joined the Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Executive Committee as chief operating officer for EECM-Benelux.

Alina Nickolson joined the Suntory business in October 2023 and will continue to serve as the company’s head of transformation as well as Chief Operating Officer for EECM-Benelux.

Prior to joining SBFE, she was General Manager at Heineken Germany, where she spearheaded the transformation of the company into the fastest-growing brewer in a declining and fragmented market. Under her leadership, Heineken Germany achieved remarkable success, doubling revenue and market share.

In her 20-year career, Alina has worked across multiple sectors (consumer goods, athletic footwear and apparel, connected lighting, among others) and held senior roles in supply chain, commerce and transformation in various geographies (Americas, Europe and Asia).

I am deeply inspired by Suntory’s beautiful heritage, the vision of Growing for Good and the Yatte Minahare mindset, and I am humbled and honoured to be part of a company with such strong values that resonate with mine. I look forward to supporting the organization to nurture those values and inspire our people to dream big and to go for it.

Alina Nickolson Vera Rojas

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