Blood named as Heineken UK's top man

Jeremy Blood has today been officially confirmed as the head of Heineken's UK operation following the completion of its acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N).

Talking to thepublican.com​ Blood confirmed the group would retain S&N's brands and the 2,000-strong pub estate.

"The most obvious change will be the combination of Heineken's portfolio with those of the UK business," he said.

No one brand would be more important than another, Blood said, noting that Kronenbourg was brewed under a 50 year licence and would continue to play a major part in the business.

Blood also confirmed that Heineken would continue to import its namesake brand into the UK, rather than brew using local production facilities: "Heineken is very clear on this. It is an imported brand and it will stay that way."

Blood said Heineken had admitted it wasn't a detailed expert on the UK market but that change to S&N's structure would be minimal.

"There will be change but it will be over time, it will evolve. Heineken is a long term business. Existing relationships such as Waverley TBS and S&N Pub Enterprises will endure. Business models change over time but there is no question of our getting rid of brands or the bulk of our pubs."

Blood said he hoped there would be a role for David Forde, Heineken UK's previous managing director who was appointed to the post last July.

"I'm talking to senior management of the business going forward and looking at how we integrate the business. David is very important to this process and I hope there will be a role for him in the new operation."

The name Scottish & Newcastle will remain for the time being, while brewery closures and cost saving initiatives already announced by S&N would be implemented as planned, Blood added.

Blood will be based in Edinburgh, where Heineken has decided to locate its UK operating headquarters, and will report to Didier Debrosse, Heineken's Regional President of Western Europe.

Managing director of S&N UK business since December 2007, Blood joined S&N in 1988 as a graduate trainee and worked in a variety of marketing and strategy positions in both the beer and pub retail divisions, including the role of managing director for S&N Pub Enterprises, the brewer's 2,000-strong pub business.

From 2002 to 2005, he was director of corporate affairs for S&N plc, responsible for government, investor and media relations.

Heineken has also reappointed the existing managing directors of the businesses acquired from S&N in Belgium, Finland and Portugal. They are:

Marc Roubaud, General Manager of Alken-Maes (Belgium)

Yrjö Narhinen, General Manager of Oy Hartwall Ab (Finland)

Alberto da Ponte, Managing Director of Centralcer/Central de Cervejas S.A. (Portugal)