Chris Vanbroekhoven will lead AB inBev in the Benelux and France from next year. The 40-year-old Belgian replaces Fabio Sala, who will lead AB InBev in China from January 2025. The Leuven beer group reported this in a press release on Wednesday.
Vanbroekhoven has been working at the beer giant for 16 years. In recent years he has held various management positions in Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, he was general manager of AB InBev in the Netherlands for the past four years. There, according to the company, he expanded the brand portfolio with established brands and new innovations. He built the Hertog Jan brand into one of the strongest in its northern neighbors, it is said.
The aspiring CEO will “further build on strategic growth in these important beer markets” in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France in the coming years. The brewer is thinking of brands such as Leffe, Jupiler, Tripel Karmeliet, Corona, Bud and Hertog Jan. Van Broekhoven also wants to further expand the non-alcoholic beer segment.
After the Netherlands, Van Broekhoven will add three more countries. “They are different countries, but there are also similarities. We have strong shared brands,” he says. “It is special to return to Belgium, where my passion for beer and our brands comes from.”
As business unit president, he will be in charge of approximately 3,600 employees, including more than 2,800 in Belgium. His region has eight breweries, five of which are in Belgium: Leuven, Hoegaarden, Jupille, Buggenhout and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. There are two AB-InBev breweries in the Netherlands, and one in Luxembourg.
Some Belgian production sites have had strikes in recent years, but the new boss is optimistic. “The biggest challenge is growth, but consultation with the unions is essential. I am confident that we can bring it to a successful conclusion.”