Editor’s Note – May 2019

[Editor’s Note]

Carlsberg Malaysia Welcomes New Managing Director Ted Akiskalos

We headed over to Brixton23 in Kuala Lumpur city on 26 April 2019 for Carlsberg Malaysia’s welcome party for its new Managing Director Ted Akiskalos which also doubled as a farewell party for outgoing Managing Director Lars Lehmann who has been promoted to the Executive Committee (ExCom) of Carlsberg A/S (Carlsberg Group) as Executive Vice President of Eastern Europe and also as CEO of Baltika, Carlsberg Group’s company in Russia effective 1 May 2019.

MHB Digital’s (http://mhbdigital.com) history with Carlsberg Malaysia goes back to our inception as a full-fledged digital agency back in 2011 – as they were our very first client! (My personal history with Carlsberg Malaysia goes way back to 2006 and you can read some of the previous stories here – https://timchew.net/?s=carlsberg)

Over the years, we’ve witnessed many changes to the management team and we’ve had the privilege of knowing five (including Ted) Managing Directors, one of which remains a good friend till this day! While it is always rather sad to say farewell to the outgoing MD, I must say that Carlsberg Malaysia knows how to throw probably the best farewell/ welcome parties!

We got to enjoy Carlsberg Malaysia’s portfolio of beers, stouts and ciders, and bid farewell to Lars and family, as well as meet Akiskalos for the first time. The party was inspired by the concept of Brixton 23 after the “Kingsman” movie series. Lehmann and Akiskalos made a dapper appearance on stage to cheers from the guests, ajd after some short speeches ignited a beer fountain with dazzling pyrotechnics in the spirit of semper ardens (Carlsberg’s motto in Latin meaning “always burning”) before joining Carlsberg Malaysia Chairman Datuk Toh Ah Wah, Independent Non-Executive Director Chew Hoy Ping, and the management team to thank guests for their continued support that saw the company through “Probably The Best Year” for the 2018 financial year.

Carlsberg Malaysia’s outgoing Managing Director Lars Lehmann (L) and new Managing Director Ted Akiskalos.

Lehmann (L) and Akiskalos made a dapper appearance on stage, igniting a beer fountain with dazzling pyrotechnics in the spirit of semper ardens (“always burning”) to mark the passing of the baton from one managing director to another.

As incoming Managing Director, Akiskalos brings with him nine years of experience within the Carlsberg Group where his first role was as Vice President of Group Strategy with a proven track record in driving growth and leading various transformational projects throughout the Group.

At 40 years of age, this appointment is Akiskalos’ third role as Managing Director within the Carlsberg Group. Currently the Managing Director of Carlsberg Sweden, Akiskalos has led the company to return to double-digit growth, and the highest reputational scores among all beer companies in Sweden. As Managing Director for Carlsberg’s operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, he, together with the team, transformed Hong Kong to be the market leader whilst improving its profits significantly in three years.

Akiskalos said, “I am most honoured and humbled by this appointment because Malaysia, which covers Singapore and an associate company in Sri Lanka, is one of the top three markets in Asia, in terms of profitability and growth. Taking over the helm from Lars, my intent is to continue our growth with our strong brand portfolio and win with our winning customers.”

In delivering his farewell speech, Lehmann said, “It has been Probably The Best three years for me and the Company. Together, we had an unprecedented financial year in 2018 with strong growth in revenue, net profit and free cash flow, allowing us to declare the highest dividends in the history of Carlsberg Malaysia. None of these would be possible if it wasn’t for our customers and consumers’ support towards our brands, our people and our businesses.”

Both the outgoing and new Managing Directors pledged the company’s commitment to continue delivering excellence in great innovations, excellent product quality and relevant consumer activations in the times ahead.

Ted with former Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia Soren Ravn

Ted with the Carlsberg Malaysia management team

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Andy and I with HR Director of Carlsberg Malaysia Felicia Teh (second from left) and popular blogger Fat Boy Bakes (who makes the most amazing cakes!)

For more info, head over to https://carlsbergmalaysia.com.my/

Photo credits: Carlsberg Malaysia and author’s own

Locker & Loft “On The Road” Pop Up Bar at Faux Space Bangsar

Joanne and I headed over to Faux Space in Bangsar Baru for the “Locker & Loft Pop Up Bar” at Faux Space. Locker & Loft needs no introduction as it’s one of the mainstays of the speakeasy scene in Petaling Jaya.

Faux Space though, is a recent addition to the bustling Telawi area in Bangsar Baru, and is a co-working space type cafe where customers just need to purchase an item from the cafe to utilise the Wi-Fi and the space.

The event saw Locker & Loft feature their popular cocktails while some guest DJs provided the tunes.