Paula Lindenberg: AB InBev's UK boss aiming to boost brewing giant's market share

Critics are not so sure. City analysts say she will have a serious uphill struggle amid weaker consumer confidence in a Brexit-struck Britain and biting competition. She shrugs off such doubts: “We want to become a bigger brewer in the UK and number one in terms of market share (AB InBev is currently number two after Heineken). We want to be sustainable, and lead the way in the no- and low-alcohol sector.”

She laughs heartily: “I have been told I am rather competitive.” That said, Lindenberg has a life outside of work. She says she can regularly be found at her new local, The Britannia in Kensington, and Stella is her favourite tipple. “I always loved beer,” she adds with a grin.

Belgium-headquartered AB InBev, which has secondary listings on the New York and South African exchanges, won’t reveal UK numbers but Lindenberg says there is “high single-digit” revenue growth so far this year.

The UK sales gains should provide comfort for AB InBev’s largest backers, including the Brazilian billionaires behind private equity firm 3G Capital, who are seeing tricky times elsewhere at the brewing giant.

Plans to float the Asia arm have been met with market criticisms that the price is too high, while rivals have questioned the 2016 mega takeover of London rival SABMiller. That deal saddled AB InBev with debts of over $100 billion.

Lindenberg slips into a corporate tone when discussing the SAB deal: “There are no regrets. We have been learning so much and it’s a great platform for expansion.”

It’s no surprise Lindenberg is defensive of AB InBev. She has been there for 18 years, joining after trainee marketing jobs with Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. The business management graduate, who grew up in Sao Paulo and taught maths to kids in the favela when she was a student, got a number of promotions during her early years at the business.

She points to becoming head of marketing at the firm’s first Ecuador office in 2003: “No other company on earth would be so crazy to send me to this job without so much experience.”

The gamble paid off though, and the relative newcomer helped the group drastically increase its presence in the South American country.

Miguel Patricio, the former chief marketing officer at AB InBev and now boss of Kraft Heinz, calls Lindenberg “ambitious but humble... she is tough but relaxed”.

Prior to moving to London with her husband, Victor, and the kids, Lindenberg was vice-president of marketing in Brazil.

A typical week here in Blighty will include brewery visits, and meetings with advertisers, pub landlords and retailers.

Under her reign, Budweiser agreed its first sponsorship of women’s football, creating TV adverts featuring England Lionesses, and staff have been relocated to the new Fetter Lane office. On top of that she has led a nationwide roll-out of low-calorie US beer Michelob Ultra.

There are no plans to float ABInbev in London, and the group is focused on organic growth rather than a multitude of takeovers.

Lindenberg has her work cut out, says Euromonitor drinks analyst Spiros Malandrakis. “Big brewers are witnessing declining numbers of younger drinkers and consumer opposition to their takeovers of craft beer makers.”

Lindenberg says her company is offering a huge variety of low-alcohol choices to attract new customers.

Meanwhile, AB InBev has bought some craft brewers. Some drinkers didn’t like the deals, being worried ownership by a huge company will make the beer less authentic and desirable.

Lindenberg counters that her company doesn’t interfere with recipes, and “works more as a [investment] platform to give the brewers the means to reach more people”. Jasper Cuppaidge, who founded and continues to lead Camden Town Brewery, which AB InBev bought in 2015, says new ownership has “got our beers into even more new Camden fans’ hands”.

In addition, the UK business could face competition as a result of new investment in the sector. This year has already seen the Fuller’s brewing arm sold to Japanese group Asahi, while Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, is trying to buy Greene King.

Lindenberg says: “All consumer goods companies are fighting for attention. If you are not creative enough or being talked about you become irrelevant. Unseen is unsold.”

Sounds like some seriously thirsty work is ahead for Lindenberg.