United Breweries brings on Vivek Gupta as MD & CEO from September 25

United Breweries Limited (UBL), part of the Heineken Company, has appointed Vivek Gupta as managing director and chief executive officer effective from 25 September, the company announced in a release.

Gupta has spent more than two decades in leadership and commercial roles at Procter & Gamble (P&G), working across various categories, from everyday consumption to premium ones.

His most recent position with P&G was as managing director for Australia and New Zealand. Gupta later joined Udaan.com, where he served as chief business officer.

Together with the UBL leadership team, he will be responsible for driving sustainable growth for the company. He will spearhead the premiumisation of UBL's portfolio, including enhancing the iconic status of Kingfisher.

Jacco van der Linden, regional president for Asia-Pacific at Heineken and a member of the UBL board, said in the release, "We are delighted to have Vivek steer UBL at such a pivotal moment. We value his tenacity in developing businesses and brands swiftly in complex settings. He brings robust global experience that is deeply rooted in India, and has achieved considerable success in both traditional and digital spheres."

Gupta was also quoted in the release as saying, "I am honoured to be given the responsibility of one of India's most iconic brands, Kingfisher beer, and the world's most international brand, Heineken."