SABMiller halts staff appointment in wake of buy out

London-based brewer SAB Miller is to hold on to its outgoing supply director in the wake of its acquisition by AB InBev.

In April, the brewery announced the retirement of director of integrated supply and human resources, Tony Van Kralingen, who was due to step down at the end of the year. His role was to be split into two new positions, and in September, Johann Nel, who retired from SABMiller in 2008, rejoined the company as group director human resources.

Philip Hodges, former senior vice president of integrated supply chain at Mondelez Europe, was due to join as Group director Integrated supply from 1 December.

However the brewery announced this morning that Hodges would not longer be taking up the position. Van Kralingen is postponing his retirement in order to continue working in the supply chain role, and will continue to sit on the group’s Executive Committee.

“In light of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s recommended acquisition of SABMiller announced on 11 November 2015, SABMiller and Philip Hodges have mutually agreed that he will not take up his new position”, a statement said.

On Wednesday, the merger of the two biggest brewers was confirmed after the terms of SABMiller’s £71 billion buyout by AB Inbev was agreed. The takeover is expected to complete in the second half of 2016, with the new beer giant being renamed Newco.

In order to secure approval from the competition authorities in the US, SABMiller confirmed it is to sell off its stake in US joint venture MillerCoors.

The combined portfolio include Coors and Peroni beer brands from London-based SABMiller and Belgium-based AB InBev’s Budwieser, Bud Light and Stella Artois brands.