When Graham Mackay died in December last year, it felt not only like the passing of one of the brewing industry’s most respected and successful executives, but also the end of an era (Dominic Walsh writes). Without its leader and visionary, SABMiller suddenly felt a little less bullet-proof against the long-mooted assault from Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Although AB InBev has yet to show its hand, SAB’s preliminary approach to Heineken shows how seriously the company is taking the threat of a move by the world’s biggest brewer for its closest rival. The Dutch brewer is still controlled by the Heineken family, who have shown no desire to cede its independence.
If recent rumours that SAB also approached Diageo are true, this would suggest a degree of