SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company today announced the appointment of MillerCoors president and chief commercial officer Tom Long as the company’s new chief executive officer, following the decision of current CEO Leo Kiely to retire effective June 1, 2011.
"Tom is a seasoned and thoughtful business leader perfectly suited to take the reins from Leo and lead the next chapter of growth and development at MillerCoors," said Peter Coors, chairman of the board, Molson Coors Brewing Company. "A veteran of the U.S. and global beverage business, Tom has over two decades of experience in senior sales, marketing and general management roles. In his current role, Tom has delivered significant progress against all of our commercial goals since the launch of MillerCoors in July 2008."
MillerCoors operates a brewery in Milwaukee.
Long’s succession as CEO and Kiely’s retirement are consistent with plans made in late 2007 when Molson Coors and SABMiller originally struck the deal to form MillerCoors with the goal of creating a stronger, more competitive U.S. brewer. The two leaders have shared duties in the office of the CEO and president since September of 2010 in preparation for this move.
"Tom brings extensive experience to the table having served previously as chief executive officer and chief marketing officer of Miller Brewing Company," said SABMiller chief executive Graham Mackay. "He is a savvy operator with a keen intellect and boundless energy. It is gratifying to see his partnership with Leo produce the kind of orderly and smooth management succession that we envisioned during the integration planning process."
Prior to joining Miller Brewing Company in 2005, Long spent 17 years at The Coca-Cola Company.
"I’m excited to take on the challenge of leading MillerCoors in the next phase of our journey to create America’s best beer company," Long said. "I want to thank Leo for his leadership and partnership over the past three years. His wisdom, guidance and good judgment have left an indelible mark on MillerCoors and the strong foundation he has put in place will form the basis for growth and success across the MillerCoors network."
Manitowoc-based Orion Energy Systems, Inc. has named James Jackson as senior vice president of sales. He will be responsible for all sales activities for Orion including sales forecasting, budgeting, and daily management to ensure deliverables are met.
Jackson worked previously as channel manager at Cisco Systems, where he was responsible for working directly with senior leadership at key strategic channel partners to accelerate growth and profitability.
“James has invaluable career experience and a proven track record of delivering results,” said Orion Chief Executive Officer Neal Verfuerth. “His most recent role at Cisco, a recognized world leader in technology and known for its high performance sales engine, will further facilitate the execution of our aggressive future growth plans.”
