Scottish Courage hires premium lagers supremo

Scottish Courage has appointed Maurice Breen from Scotch whisky marketing company Matthew Gloag to handle one of the most important jobs in UK beer marketing.

Breen, who is global controller for The Famous Grouse brand at the Perth-based company, which handles marketing and distribution for Highland Distilleries, has been appointed brands director for premium lagers at the UK’s biggest brewer.

He takes responsibility for brands including Kronenbourg 1664, Holsten Export, Molson, Beck’s Bier, and Coors.

Breen takes over a post left vacant for the past six months, after Simon Rhodes quit to join healthcare company PPP (MW April 10).

Rhodes’ former responsibilities as brands director for lagers were soon divided into premium and standard lagers, in recognition of the size of the merged lagers portfolio following the takeover of Courage by Scottish & Newcastle.

Jerry Goldberg, marketing controller on John Smith’s, was promoted to brands director for standard lagers, covering brands such as Foster’s, Miller Pilsner and McEwan’s.

Rhodes formerly worked for Courage in Staines before the brewer’s takeover and had to relocate to S&N’s Edinburgh office after the merger. The move was viewed as a major reason for him leaving.

Breen, who is Canadian, is joining Scottish Courage in mid-November. He has worked for Matthew Gloag for seven years and previously for Seagram and Birds Eye.