Peter Swinburn, chief executive of Coors Brewing, is expected to be named CEO of parent Molson Coors Brewing Co. today.
Canadian press reports, citing unnamed sources, said Swinburn is being tapped to replace Leo Kiely, who will become CEO of MillerCoors when the two brewers complete the merger of their domestic operations later this month.
Swinburn previously headed Molson Coors’ United Kingdom-based Coors Brewers Ltd. He was named CEO of Golden-based Coors Brewing in December.
Molson Coors officials did not comment Monday on the Canadian Press report.
The MillerCoors merger will produce $500 million in savings from a combination of job cuts, reduced shipping expenses, streamlined brewing operations and consolidation of corporate functions.
In a media conference call Monday to announce MillerCoors executive appointments, Kiely gave no new clues on where the proposed MillerCoors will locate its headquarters.
The company is saying only that the combined brewers will maintain a “significant presence” in Coors Brewing’s hometown of Golden and Mil ler’s base in Milwaukee.
Pete Coors, who will serve as nonexecutive chairman of MillerCoors, has said previously that the headquarters may be established in a different city. Rumored locations include Chicago and Dallas.
The merger is billed as a way for No. 2 Miller and No. 3 Coors to compete more effectively against Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch, which has about 50 percent of the U.S. beer market.
MillerCoors expects to realize savings of $50 million in the first year of the merger and $350 million the second year.
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com
Executive positions at MillerCoors:
•Leo Kiely, chief executive
•Tom Long, president, chief commercial officer
•Tim Wolf, chief integration officer
•Gavin Hattersley, chief financial officer
•Tom Cardella, eastern-division president
•Ed McBrien, western-division president
•Andy England, chief marketing officer
•Dennis Puffer, chief operations officer
•Karen Ripley, chief legal officer
•Jeanine Wasielewski, head of information technology
•Cornell Boggs, chief responsibility and ethics officer
•Steve Woodward, chief human-resources officer
•Chris Kozina, chief of staff
•Nehl Horton, chief communications and government-affairs officer
