The multibillion-dollar merger of Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller has cleared all international regulatory hurdles and is set to finalize on Oct. 10, 2016. The estimated US$105 billion deal will create the world’s largest beverage company with combined revenues of approximately $73.5 billion globally.

Judie Bizzozero, Content Director

August 31, 2016

2 Min Read
AB InBev, SABMiller Merger Set to Close Oct. 10

The multibillion-dollar merger of Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller has cleared all international regulatory hurdles and is set to finalize on Oct. 10, 2016. The estimated US$105 billion deal will create the world’s largest beverage company with combined revenues of approximately $73.5 billion globally.

This deal comes more than one year after the $54-billion monster acquisition of Kraft Foods Group by H.J. Heinz Company formed the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest in the world.

The AB Inbev-SABMiller deal also will create the world’s largest beer company with nearly 30-percent market share, approximately $66 billion in combined annual revenues and nearly $12 billion in net income. Analysts have speculated that one in three beers sold globally will now be owned by AB-InBev. Heineken, the No. 2 beer rival, has approximately 11 percent of the global market share.

Upon completion of the deal, the combined group—which has yet to be named—will remain headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and its Global Functional Management office will operate out of its current New York location. To maximize growth opportunities and build on the strengths of both companies in their respective markets, the combined group will be organized into nine geographical zones.

  1. North America (headquartered in St. Louis): United States and Canada

  2. Middle Americas (headquartered in Mexico City): Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras

  3. Latin America North (headquartered in São Paulo): Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, St. Vincent, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Dominica and the Caribbean

  4. Latin America South (headquartered in Buenos Aires): Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia

  5. Latin America COPEC (headquartered in Bogotá): Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

  6. Europe (headquartered in Leuven): UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Ukraine, Russia and Export Europe and Middle East (EEME)

  7. Asia Pacific North (headquartered in Shanghai): China, South Korea and Japan

  8. Asia Pacific South (headquartered in Melbourne): Australia, New Zealand, India, Vietnam and other South and Southeast Asian countries

  9. Africa (headquartered in Johannesburg): South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, Uganda, Ethiopia, African Islands, Tanzania, South Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana

Once the zone headquarters are established, existing SABMiller hubs in Miami, Hong Kong and Beijing will be phased out within a few months after the merger. The future of the SABMiller Europe hub in Zug will be determined as part of the process of divestment of SABMiller’s Central and Eastern European businesses.

The Executive Board of Management (EBM) will be composed of 20 zone presidents and functional chiefs—19 from AB InBev and one from SABMIller—who will report to AB InBev’s CEO Carlos Brito.

AB InBev is the leading global brewer and one of the world’s top five consumer products companies. The company’s portfolio includes more than 200 beer brands anchored by global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®.

SABMiller plc is the world’s second-largest brewing company and one of the world’s largest bottlers of Coca-Cola drinks.

About the Author(s)

Judie Bizzozero

Content Director, Informa Markets Health & Nutrition

Judie Bizzozero oversees food and beverage content strategy and development for the Health & Nutrition group at Informa Markets (which acquired VIRGO in 2014), including the Food & Beverage Insider, Natural Products Insider and SupplySide/Food ingredients North America brands. She reports on market trends, science-based ingredients, and challenges and solutions in the development of healthy foods and beverages. Bizzozero graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

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