Germany: AB InBev to replace head of German business unit

AB InBev will replace the head of its German business Harm van Esterik by Florian Weins, who started in 2008 as a trainee in AB InBev’s German headoffice in Bremen and has since then climbed various stages of his career in the world’s largest brewing group. Since July 2017 he acted as general manager of Compañía Cervecera de Canarias, a brewing company based on the Canary Islands which became part of AB InBev in 2016 after the purchase of SAB Miller.

Weins starts his job in Bremen, Germany, on January, 1 and will assist van Esterik for two months.

Harm van Esterik will leave AB InBev by the end of February next year after being with the company for more than 25 years. By all accounts the change in management is not related to the failed sale of AB InBev’s two German breweries Hasseröder and Diebels earlier this year. (inside.beer, 2.7.2018)

Dutchman van Esterik headed AB InBev’s German business for the last two years after being country manager for the Dutch business. After the dismissal of AB InBev’s last German country director Till Hedrich in November 2015 the German business unit, which accounted by that time for about 7 million hectoliters, was for one year part of the Business Unit Western Europe without an own country director.

Van Esterik's departure is part of a major restructuring of the Brazilian-Belgium group. After the departure for European boss Stuart MacFarlane this summer, his successor Jason Warner is reorganizing the region. Germany is now part of the Business Unit Germany-Belgium-Luxembourg, headed by former Southern European leader Fabio Sala.

So far, Germany was part of the Business Unit Western Europe, headed by Jean-Jacques "JJ" Velkenier, who also leaves the company after working with AB Inbev the last 15 years.

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