Frucor Beverages has made a number of leadership changes, including the appointment of Jonathan Moss as Group CEO designate, replacing Carl Bergstrom, who will retire in April after 15 years at Frucor. Mr Moss will remain in his current role as CEO of Frucor Australia until a suitable replacement is found.
To maintain business momentum and ensure a smooth transition, the role of Frucor Executive Chairman has been created, with Kuni Himeno appointed to this role. Frucor Chairman Nobuhiro Torii will remain on the Frucor board.
Mr Moss joined Frucor 10 years ago as the CEO of Frucor Australia and brings more than 25 years of consumer goods experience to the role, having held senior positions with Uncle Tobys, Coca-Cola Amatil and the Australian Dairy Farmers Group. Under his leadership, Frucor Australia has grown consistently, with EBIT doubling over the past 10 years.
Mr Moss is also involved in the broader Australian beverage industry and has been President of the Australian Beverage Council since 2013.
Mr Himeno rejoins the company from Frucor’s owner, Japanese beverage and food company Suntory, and brings with him extensive knowledge and experience.
His most recent appointment, in 2014, was as senior general manager, international strategy department for Suntory Holdings Ltd, where he was in charge of the Beam integration into Suntory.
Mr Bergstrom has led the Frucor Group since 2011, before which he was CEO of Frucor New Zealand, a position he held from joining the company in 2000.
In his 15 years with the Frucor business, he has overseen its growth from being a small juice company to an international beverage business worth more than $500 million.
In recent years, Mr Bergstrom led Frucor’s capital expansion program, with support from Suntory.
