Marketing boss to head project for Interbrew

Interbrew UK’s marketing director Richard Evans is being temporarily promoted to a new role to spearhead a new strategic project for the brewer.

The “secret” project is understood to be outside the UK market and Evans will oversee it. During Evans’ secondment his duties will be undertaken by category and brands director Phil Rumbol, who will report to the chief executive Stewart Gilliland.

Rumbol was previously the head of sponsorship in the customer and consumer insight division. He was promoted to the position of brands director in 2001 and has been responsible for the Boddingtons, Rolling Rock, Hoegaarden and Vodka Source brands. In his new role as marketing director he will join the Interbrew UK board. It is not known what will happen to Evans once he has completed work on the project.

Last summer Interbrew was involved in a high-profile legal battle with four national newspapers – The Financial Times, The Independent, The Guardian and The Times as well as news agency Reuters – over a leaked document that detailed a possible bid for rival South African Breweries.

The company won the right to force the newspapers to surrender the document, but later dropped its legal action.

Interbrew UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Belgian company Interbrew. Formerly the Whitbread Beer Company, it was renamed after it was bought in May 2000 for £400m from the UK leisure group Whitbread.