The Drinks Association

Lion leaders, James Brindley and anubha sahasrabuddhe, outline key decisions underpinning a year of 'transformation and growth’ "We are dedicated to growing our business with consumers and customers and have unwavering commitment to our purpose – Making the Moment Mean More. "Beer remains a core strength and an important force in the alcohol market. We're dedicated to the beer category and investing in our iconic brands to elevate them further. At the same time, RTDs and spirits are key growth areas, and we're building the capabilities to become a respected challenger in these segments." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCmUQCES

Michael Courtney, CEO, reflects on a pivotal year for Coles Liquor Group. “2024 has been a year of significant transformation for the Coles Liquor Group as we embraced change to align more closely with the needs of our customers. Our priority has been to ensure we’re putting in effective strategies to serve our customers the drinks they want when they want them and increase our customer loyalty." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eE5eqAAE

The Drinks Association would like to thank all our members and partners for an exceptional 2024. Reflecting on the past 12 months, Drinks CEO Georgia Lennon said: "As we wrap up another incredible year, it’s a great time to reflect on the achievements that have shaped our industry. While we’ve witnessed some headwinds like rising living costs and shifting consumer behaviour, it’s encouraging to see our industry’s resilience, adaptability, creativity, and commitment to excellence continue to shine bright." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvkB45ue The Drinks team will take a break over the holiday period from Monday, 23 December and will re-open on Monday, 6 January 2025. Wishing you all a happy and safe festive season and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!🥂🍾🥳🎉🎄 Rachel Wormald Kylie Le Lievre

Suntory Oceania has announced CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania, Darren Fullerton, will retire at the end of March 2025. Fullerton said: “Working at Suntory for the past five years has been a career highlight. Being part of an organisation that aligns so closely with my values and unlocking the potential of our Oceania business has been an incredible privilege.” Makiko Ono, President of Suntory Beverage & Food, added: “Darren has been an extraordinary leader, driving growth, innovation and a culture of excellence in Oceania. He has lived the One Suntory mindset and set a benchmark for our future global business.” Suntory Oceania says a successor will be announced in due course. Image (L-R): Mark Hill, Managing Director - Suntory Global Spirits Oceania; Darren Fullerton, CEO - Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBg7yTdT

Asahi Beverages' Group CEO Amanda Sellers looks back on the year gone by: "Among the moments I’m most proud of in 2024 was CUB’s recognition as Supplier of the Year by the Drinks Association for the second year straight. This honour, alongside the Category Management Award for the third consecutive year, underlines the passion, innovation, and teamwork that define Asahi Beverages and CUB." "It’s a testament to the people behind the scenes – in our breweries, offices and beyond. They inspire me and hopefully make a difference in our customers’ businesses, too." Read more: https://lnkd.in/g7HDk34k

Steve Donohue reflects on final full year as MD, CEO of Endeavour Group “Against a challenging economic and customer backdrop, I’m particularly proud of what the Endeavour Group team has achieved in 2024 - maintaining momentum in our core businesses and our position as Australia’s leading liquor retailer and operator of hotels - while still progressing our strategic initiatives, and living our purpose of ‘Creating a more sociable future, together’. "This is a testament to all 30,000+ team members - in stores, in venues, in wineries, and in our support offices - that I am so proud to have led for the last six years." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gnDmAfr5

We are excited to announce that the Drinks Association website has a fresh new look! Our redesigned site showcases our updated brand style, featuring a modern aesthetic, easy navigation, and captivating photography from our events, featuring many familiar faces from across the industry. We have expanded our content to include more information about our members, partners, services, events, and the impactful work being done by our Embrace Difference Council and our newly launched Sustainability Council. This update demonstrates our commitment to creating a more dynamic and engaging digital presence as we continue our mission to strengthen and inform the Australian drinks industry. Explore our new-look site now: https://lnkd.in/gBPrry4M Georgia Lennon Rachel Wormald Kylie Le Lievre Cindy Panzera Rita Singhchawala

Casella Family Brands has attained national distribution rights for Better Beer following the collapse of previous distributor Mighty Craft Limited. The Better Beer Company will continue to own and manage the brand, while Casella Family Brands will focus on expanding the brand's reach across both on- and off-premise channels. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our business as we continue to strengthen our portfolio of category-leading brands across wine, beer spirits and RTD,” said John Casella, Managing Director of Casella Family Brands. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqq9rHc9

Lion Australia has announced a landmark partnership with Football Australia establishing Hahn as the naming rights partner for the Australian Cup. As part of this partnership, the national football competition will officially be known as the Hahn Australia Cup for 2025 and for the following three years. James Brindley, Lion’s Managing Director, said, “Hahn is here to celebrate the on-field moments that forge lifelong bonds and become the stuff of legend in months and years to follow. We look forward to raising a Hahn with the players, coaches, and communities that bring this tournament to life each year.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVz-5JUj James Johnson anubha sahasrabuddhe Kerry Appathurai

"I couldn’t be prouder of the key achievements made by our dedicated, passionate Embrace Difference Council members who, despite having demanding day jobs, generously contribute their time and passion to build an industry that is progressive, fair, and a genuinely rewarding place to work." "I am continually inspired by their commitment to creating a stronger and more inclusive industry for everyone." Sandra Gibbs from Asahi Beverages and Chair of the Drinks Association's Embrace Difference Council reflects on the many significant milestones achieved in 2024. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpKbFskv Sarah Abbott Stephanie Shedden James Kelly Ruben Da Silva Jamila Diamonon Georgia Lennon Rachel Wormald Kylie Le Lievre