ThaiBev reshuffle kicks off with top-level change at Oishi

The reshuffle follows the takeover in February of Malaysia-based Fraser & Neave (F&N) by ThaiBev’s major shareholder, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
Marut Buranasetkul, a director of Oishi who will become the company’s president in August, yesterday described Oishi as an integral part of ThaiBev Group with a clear direction of becoming a leading regional beverage player.
He said his priority would be expanding Oishi’s food and beverage divisions within the region, while maintaining the company’s market dominance in Thailand.
Oishi’s objective is to build a long-term, sustainable, profitable operation throughout Asean, he added.
Effective on August 1, Marut will succeed Matthew Kichodhan, who will remain a member of Oishi’s board.
Matthew will remain in charge of ThaiBev’s international business, which comprises eight offices and 850 staff globally. ThaiBev has also five spirits facilities in Scotland, and one in China.
Prior to joining Oishi Group, Marut was a senior vice president of ThaiBev responsible for marketing.
The move represents the first step in the management reshuffle at ThaiBev and its subsidiary, Singapore-listed F&N.
Asked whether he would be promoted by ThaiBev to be in charge of the top management position at F&N, Matthew said this was currently uncertain. Both ThaiBev and F&N are undertaking management restructuring, the outcome of which will be clear by the end of next month.
He said Marut would continue the Oishi Group’s mission set for 2016, that is, to increase its annual revenue to more than Bt30 billion.
Revenue from its food business is projected to surge from about Bt6.9 billion targeted for this year to Bt13 billion by 2016, while the group expects to increase income from its beverage business from Bt7 billion to Bt18 billion in the same time scale.
“With the aim of ThaiBev becoming a new regional player in food and beverage products, Oishi will become a footprint in Asean. We will bring their [Oishi] port from Thailand into Asean, as well as looking for new investment opportunities in other countries within the region, both joint ventures and acquisitions,” said Matthew.
Oishi Group expects sales to reach about Bt14 billion this year.
Meanwhile, Oishi’s board on Tuesday approved the investment of Bt1.15 billion to purchase new cold-aseptic bottling machinery to be installed at its Navanakorn plant.
The expansion, which will be completed in the middle of next year, will increase the plant’s capacity from the current 60 million bottles a month to 75 million.
Paisarn Aowsathaporn, group executive vice president for the food division, said the group would increase the number of Japanese restaurants opened in the Kingdom from 167 currently to 275 by 2016, with some 50 branches being opened this year.
The company expects average growth of 28 per cent annually over the next three years.
Oishi’s food business will be transformed by regional growth in the near future, he said.