SAB taps expertise of parent company’s executive to be its new CEO, Nestle names MENA region Chairman
SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries (SAB), subsidiary of AB InBev, has appointed Richard Rivett-Carnac as the company’s new CEO.
The new boss has 13 years of experience in various roles within the AB InBev group, having joined SABMiller in the London office as part of the mergers and acquisitions team in 2009.
More recently, Richard was the VP for Finance, Legal & Corporate Affairs for AB InBev’s Africa Zone, successfully navigating the business through what could be considered the most challenging years since its inception.
“After the last few years, we have learned just how strong SAB can be, as an organisation and as a collection of hard-working, passionate and talented people.
“Having grown up in South Africa this business has been an integral part of my life and I couldn’t be prouder to lead the team into an exciting new future for SAB and the South African economy,” said Rivett-Carnac.
Having already assumed his responsibilities, Richard has pledged his commitment to work with Government, suppliers and all stakeholders to responsibly grow the beer category and SAB’s share of the category.
“I have worked my entire career to get to this point. This is a profound responsibility and I will ensure that our people, our industry, our communities and our country remain my top priority as we move into what I believe will be SAB’s greatest decade,” he said.
Holding a Bachelor of Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town, he is also a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Nestlé appoints new Chairman & CEO of MENA region
Meanwhile, global food giant Nestlé has appointed Yasser Abdul Malak as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, effective January 1st, 2022.
Abdul Malak succeeds Remy Ejel, who joined the global Nestlé Executive Board in Vevey, Switzerland, as Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa (AOA), which includes the Middle East and North Africa region.
The new MENA regional boss has held several leadership positions at Nestlé over the years.
Abdul Malak joined Nestlé in Saudi Arabia in 1999. After his first assignment, he moved to the company’s regional head office to lead the MAGGI business as Senior Brand Manager until mid-2003.
He was then appointed Global Marketing Advisor for the Food business in Switzerland. In 2005, he was promoted to head the Food Business in the South East Africa region.
Three years later, he returned to the Middle East as Business Executive Officer Food, prior to his assignment as Country Manager.
He previously served as CEO for Nestlé’s North East Africa Region based in Egypt until he was assigned the role of Dairy Category Head Zone Europe Middle East & North Africa in 2018 at the Nestlé headquarters in Vevey.
“This region is where my journey at Nestlé began, and it is really an honor for me to come back here to help grow our business and create shared value for society with our local teams of highly talented and dedicated people.
“We at Nestlé remain committed to living up to our purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come,” said Abdul Malak.
Abdul Malak holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing from the Lebanese American University, and an Executive Development diploma from the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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