Beam Suntory names first president of brands

Carlsberg executive vice president and chief commercial officer Jessica Spence is set to jump ship to Beam Suntory to become the firm’s first president of brands.

Jessica Spence has been appointed as Beam Suntory’s first president of brands

Spence will take up the post with Beam Suntory in October this year, reporting to Albert Baladi, president and CEO of Beam Suntory.

As president of brands, Spence will be charged with P&L (profit and loss) responsibility for Beam Suntory’s biggest global brands and will work closely with the region presidents to spearhead the company’s global premiumisation goals.

Furthermore, Spence will lead global innovation and product R&D (research and development), emerging marketing technologies, tools and platforms, and integrated marketing communications and design.

Baladi said: “As we accelerate our path of premiumisation and pursue our long-term ambitions, we will focus on building global premium brands of scale that consumers love.

“Jessica is a true global enterprise leader with an impressive track record and the passion to match.

“With a powerful combination of brand-building leadership and commercial prowess, she is the perfect fit for this new role, for our strategic ambitions and for our culture.”

Carlsberg hired Spence in 2012. Currently, she looks after the firm’s global marketing, sales, insights, R&D and innovation functions.

Spence has previously worked as Carlsberg’s senior vice president commercial, for which she was based in Copenhagen.

Before Carlsberg, Spence worked in marketing positions for SAB Miller in Russia, Slovakia and Poland, and business development in London.

She has also worked for global advertising agencies Leo Burnett and J Walter Thompson.