CLONMEL-BASED cider maker C&C yesterday announced that John Holberry, the managing director of its British business, will leave in August, just 17 months after joining the troubled listed drinks group.
Mr Holberry joined C&C on March 18th, 2008, when the drinks group was led by Maurice Pratt. He was hired to reinvigorate the Magners cider brand, which has seen its sales decline sharply in the past two years from a combination of bad summer weather and strong price competition from rival brewer Scottish Newcastle.
Mr Pratt left C&C late last year and the company is now run by three former Scottish Newcastle executives, led by chief executive John Dunsmore.
Mr Holberry said their appointments left little room in the business for him. “I have enjoyed working in C&C and building the Magners GB team over the last year,” Mr Holberry said in a statement yesterday. “However, the appointment of the new management team, headed by John Dunsmore, reduces the opportunities for me to develop my career.”
At the beginning of March, C&C said it expected Magners revenues in Britain to decline by 23 per cent in the current financial year. It is likely to show volume share loss of threepercentage points.
Mr Holberry joined C&C from Coors Brewers Ltd, where he had been managing director of its sales operations since 2001. During his time with C&C, Mr Holberry is credited with launching Magners on draught in the UK. He also introduced a pear cider to the market at the beginning of this month.
He recently put expansion plans in Barcelona and Munich on ice following a below par performance. Magners is now focusing on rebuilding its position in the UK market.
