Leading Oceania company and the market leader for energy drinks in Australia and New Zealand, Frucor Suntory Oceania, has announced the appointment of Ian Roberts as Chief Supply Chain Officer.
With an extensive background in end-to-end FMCG operations, Roberts brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Frucor Suntory Oceania. His impressive career includes serving as the Executive General Manager of Retail at Visy and over two decades at Lion in various senior Supply Chain Director roles.
Most notably, Roberts recently established Visy's innovative retail-facing division and during his tenure as Lion's Chief Supply Chain and Technical Director, he played a pivotal role in the company's transformation of its Supply Chain processes. His efforts fostered a lean manufacturing culture and elevated customer service to new heights.
Darren Fullerton, CEO of Frucor Suntory - Oceania, expressed his enthusiasm about Ian's appointment, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Ian to Suntory. His extensive experience in leading supply chain transformation and his unwavering commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement perfectly align with our values and the Yatte Minahare spirit that drives our global Suntory business.”
In his new role at Frucor Suntory Oceania, Roberts will lead the trans-Tasman supply chain, including the business operations based in Wiri, New Zealand and the highly anticipated $400+ million manufacturing and distribution facility currently under construction in Ipswich, Queensland. Operational from mid-2024, this net-zero facility will be hiring over 160 roles to support its multi-beverage mandate.
Roberts' appointment follows the recent announcement that Frucor Suntory and Beam Suntory are partnering to create a $3 billion multi-beverage group, ‘Suntory Oceania’. Together, the two Suntory businesses will create the fourth largest beverage group in the region, with full end-to-end control of its portfolio, including manufacturing, sales and distribution. The partnership is set to be operational for mid-2025 in Australia and 2026 in New Zealand.
Commenting on his new role, Roberts said: “Frucor Suntory has experienced an incredible growth trajectory and with the future Suntory Oceania partnership ahead of us, I am excited to join the business during this critical period of transformation."
“Suntory's core values of craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability align perfectly with my own commitment to delivering excellence and driving positive change in the supply chain. Together, we will work towards building a world-class supply chain that will deliver exceptional results for our multi-beverage portfolio in Oceania," he added.
Roberts will be based in Sydney and will play a pivotal role as part of the Oceania Leadership Team. Former Chief Supply Chain Officer, Jon Sackree, departed Frucor Suntory earlier this year after 10 years of dedicated service.