Page 50 - Food&Drink Business magazine June 2022

REAR VIEW
Each issue we as5k industry leaders
about their working
life. This month we
talk to the CEO of Frucor Suntory Darren Fullerton.
The fast
1TELL US ABOUT YOUR what a FMCG powerhouse brand CURRENT ROLE? it has become.
I am the CEO for Frucor In my two years at Frucor
Suntory, one of the leading Suntory, I am incredibly proud
encourages you to keep consumers and the market at the centre of your thinking.
You also need to learn that everything is about balance, it keeps you connected to the things that matter. The health, family, work trifecta will become sacred to you in fuelling your life and keep your energy high.
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beverage manufacturers in Oceania. Our 1200 people manufacture, market, and distribute more than 20 brands including V Energy, BOSS Coffee, Maximus, NZ Natural, and Just Juice.
In New Zealand we have long standing partnerships with PepsiCo and Sanitarium, offering end to end solutions for their beverages including Pepsi Max, Gatorade, and Rockstar.
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of the belief we have built in the Oceania business and the growth trajectory we have demonstrated. With that belief behind us, we have secured more than $400 million to invest in a state-of-the-art greenfield beverage facility that will serve us long into the future and open up new avenues for growth.
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WHAT WOULD
YOU TELL YOUR 25-YEAR-OLD SELF? Dream big and realise anything is possible. “Yatte Minehare” as we say at Suntory!
WHAT HAS BEEN
YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE? It would definitely be the launch of Red Rock Deli Chips – one of the great snack brands launched in the last 20 years. I was on the original project team in 2001, and led the NSW test market in 2002, which eventuated in PepsiCo’s significant investment in the world’s first continuous kettle fryer and a full-scale launch. Today, it is amazing to reminisce on those humble beginnings when looking at
WHAT WAS YOUR
BIGGEST MISTAKE AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
A big lesson I learned early in my career was to embrace the unique characteristics in each market and that a one size fits all approach doesn’t work. That’s particularly important when you look at Australia and New Zealand – the cultural nuances, the market dynamics, and the consumers all have their own unique context, and you need factor this carefully in to your business plans.
WHAT IS ONE
✷ ADVERTISER LIST ADM Australia 11
AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 41
Eriez 42 Foodbank Australia 23 FoodTech Qld 27 GS1 Australia 07 Heat and Control 09 Hydroflux Industrial 52 Kerry Taste & Nutrition 33 MTI Qualos 37 Noosa Classic 51 RMR Process 19 Roxset Australia 39 SICK 35 SWA Water Australia 02 Testo 43 Tetra Pak Oceania Cover
At Suntory we talk about being “gemba centric”, a Japanese term which
GOAL YOU STILL
WANT TO ACHIEVE?
We are proud to be part of Suntory Group, an international multi-beverage business focused on ‘Growing for Good’ through our 300 brands in over 120 countries. Our Oceania business has so much growth potential. I strongly believe that with our brands, our highly talented people and capabilities it can be the centre piece for Suntory Beverage & Food in
the APAC region. ✷
50 | Food&Drink business | June 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au