Foster’s name executives for its planned demerger
The separation of its beer and wine business has yet to be finalised but Foster's Group is not leaving anything to chance and named ahead people that it said would be leading its business's divided operations.
Expressing confidence that the possible demerger process is looking good, Foster's said on Wednesday that it has already picked the executives set to steer its separate beer and wine operations once the plan pushes through on the first half of 2011.
Tapped as chair of Foster's beer division is David Crawford while John Pollaers would be serving the operations as chief executive officer in lieu of current head Ian Johnston, with Michael Ullmer and Paul Clinton also set to sit on the operation's board of directors.
The company's wine division would be renamed as Treasury Wine Estates once the split has been realised and Foster's picked out Max Ould as its chairman while the chief executive post has been reserved for David Dearie, with Lyndsey Cattermole poised to serve as one of the division's new directors.
According to its released statement, Foster said that the demerger plan is proceeding very well but all pertinent elements of the operational split are still undergoing careful evaluation such as "costs and benefits to Fosters shareholders, necessary regulatory and statutory approvals, and ongoing assessment of prevailing economic and capital market conditions."
Also, chief executive Ian Johnston said that Dearie and Pollaers are now focusing and building up and establishing their senior leadership team, which he said would play a crucial role in "realising the full potential of both the wine and beer businesses of Foster's."
More names would be announced soon to fill up positions on the two divisions non-executive directorship, according to Foster's, as it informed shareholders that once fully realised, any demerger should happen within the first half of calendar 2011.