Page 50 - Food&Drink magazine July 2021

REAR VIEW
We ask industry leaders
five questions about
their working life.
This mo5nth we talk to Robert Iervasi from
Asahi Beverages.
The fast
1TELL US ABOUT YOUR successful expansion of our CURRENT ROLE business and footprint through I am Group CEO of Asahi the acquisition of Carlton &
Beverages Oceania. I have the United Breweries stands out.
4
WHAT WOULD YOU
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privilege of running Australia’s largest beverages company. Along with being known for our Asahi beers, we’re the custodians of some of Australia’s best loved and oldest brands, from Schweppes and Cottee’s to Victoria Bitter to Cascade, which has been brewing beer for nearly 200 years. Our vision is to bring enjoyment and connections to everyday moments in life and our brands are designed to do just that!
Things I love about my role include being the custodian
of iconic brands, overseeing
our extensive manufacturing operations across Australia and New Zealand, and collaborating with our fantastic people that make Asahi Beverages what it is today.
The successful integration of CUB into our region has been a personal highlight for me. We’ve had a lot of feedback from our employees and customers about how smoothly the transition has gone for them, how transparent and open we were during the change process and importantly, how excited they are about the future. We’ve combined the businesses to set ourselves and our customers up for future success.
3
TELL YOUR 25-YEAR- OLD SELF?
Never hesitate to take opportunities as they arise, both professionally and personally. You should take considered risks if you want to succeed. What may be perceived as a risk now can ultimately be a critical learning experience, with enormous satisfaction. Learn from mistakes and don’t let fear of the unknown limit you.
I’m passionate about delivering our sustainability goals – it’s something that really drives me and our employees. We’re well advanced on our commitment to get 100 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025. We’re also delivering a big circular plastics program, which includes our new joint venture PET recycling facility in Albury. When it’s completed late this year it will recycle the equivalent of one billion 600 ml PET plastic bottles annually. It’s our part in giving back to make our community better than what it is today. ✷
2
WHAT IS YOUR
BIGGEST MISTAKE AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
I learned early in my career never to say I don’t have a solution, after I said this to senior colleagues
in response to a problem we
were facing in my first year of work. I learned very early on that every problem has a solution
or multiple solutions, and it’s really important to get the right people in the room to brainstorm what that looks like. I now always ensure I know what to do next whenever I’m challenged even if it seems almost insurmountable at the time.
GREATEST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE? Over the past few years, we have expanded our presence in Australia and New Zealand through organic growth and acquisition. Last year’s
WHAT WAS YOUR
5
WHAT IS ONE GOAL
YOU STILL WANT TO ACHIEVE?
50 | Food&Drink business | July 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au