Carlsberg CCO moves to Beam Suntory

The Carlsberg Group has announced that chief commercial officer Jessica Spence has made the decision to leave the group following over seven years with the company.

Spence will conclude her role as CCO and as a member of the Executive Committee at The Carlsberg Group on 30 September this year, taking up her new position at Beam Suntory as president of brands.

Joining Carlsberg in 2012, Spence previously served as Carlsberg’s senior vice president commercial based in Copenhagen and in senior commercial and marketing roles for Carlsberg Asia based in Hong Kong, before leading Carlsberg’s global marketing, sales, insights R&D and innovation functions.

Prior to joining Carlsberg, Spence held marketing roles for companies SABMiller in Russia, Slovakia and Poland, as well as in business development based in London.

Chief executive of Carlsberg, Cees ’t Hart, said that he would “like to thank Jessica for her strong commitment to the Carlsberg Group, and we wish her every success in her new endeavours”.

Robbie Millar, VP Global Marketing, will take on departmental leadership of group commercial until Spence’s replacement is announced.

Based in the US and reporting directly to Beam Suntory’s president and CEO, Albert Baladi, Spence’s new role will see her work closely with the region presidents to lead the company’s global premiumisation agenda, with responsibility for the loss and profit of Beam Suntory’s largest global brands.

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