Rio Tinto chairman Jan du Plessis has been appointed chairman of brewing giant SABMiller, it was revealed today.
Du Plessis, 60, will join the Peroni and Miller group as non-executive director in September and will take over as chairman after its annual general meeting next July, replacing John Manser who will retire.
Du Plessis will also step down from his non-executive post at Marks & Spencer, a role he has occupied since 2008, next year ahead of taking over at SAB.
Manser said Du Plessis has an “excellent record as a chairman of major international groups with developing markets footprints” as well as “a deep understanding of international consumer businesses.”
Du Plessis has held a number of top jobs across Europe including finance director of Swiss luxury group Richemont and was chairman at British American Tobacco until 2004.
He said his “life-time of experience in the world of international consumer brands” meant joining the board of SABMiller is “one of the most natural decisions” he could make.
