Today, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s president of US operations, Michel Doukeris assumes the role of group CEO, replacing 15-year incumbent Carlos Brito. Here, Just Drinks takes a closer look at the 25-year A-B InBev veteran’s career so far.
The 48-year-old Doukeris was born in Lages, Brazil, and according to Reuters studied chemical engineering at the country’s Santa Catarina Federal University. He went on to obtain a Master’s degree from Fundacao Getulio Vargas and complete post-graduate programmes at the Wharton School and Kellogg School of Management in the US.
Doukeris joined the company that would eventually become A-B InBev in 1996 when he started his career with Brazilian brewer AmBev. Twelve years later, he moved up to become AmBev’s head of soft drinks, where he spent two years before taking over A-B InBev’s China operations. In 2012, Doukeris was promoted to overall head of A-B InBev’s Asia-Pacific region, a job he held for four years. After a year as global chief sales officer, he was named the new president of North America, a position that had previously been held by Brito.
Doukeris has been considered the front-runner to replace Brito for some time – in September last year, reports linked him to the top job. His time in China has perhaps been the biggest boost to his resume. According to A-B InBev, Asia Pacific’s operating profits grew by 44% during his tenure and brands including Budweiser and Corona have found strong growth in China’s booming premium beer segment.
Earlier this year, Beverages analyst Trevor Stirling described Doukeris as the “clear lead internal candidate”. According to Stirling, he has a “very impressive track record, especially in China/Asia Pacific, where he was the architect of what has been a shining star in the A-B InBev portfolio”.
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By GlobalDataCommenting on his appointment, Doukeris said: “Throughout my career at A-B InBev, I have had the privilege to lead our business in different regions of the world and to work alongside the industry’s most talented and passionate colleagues every step of the way. I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective that builds on our consumer-first mindset and drives innovation and transformation in this next exciting stage.”
We shall watch with interest.
