Dave Peacock, Anheuser-Busch Inc.’s vice president of marketing, is widely considered the leading candidate to lead AB/InBev North American operations after Belgium-based InBev completes its $52 billion takeover of A-B later this year.
In that role, he would face a daunting task: growing sales and market share and retaining the loyalty of employees and Budweiser drinkers while simultaneously cutting $1.5 billion in costs and managing the collision of two very different corporate cultures.
Peacock joined A-B in 1992 and has had a series of job titles at the company in such areas as business operations, wholesaler relations, sales promotion and strategic planning.
In his current position, assumed in October, Peacock oversees the brewery’s marketing and communications functions, global media and sports marketing, consumer strategy and innovation, global industry and creative development, brand management and geographic marketing, business development, wholesaler services, and consumer affairs.
It appeared Peacock was being groomed to take over as president of the brewery under Busch IV. Now that Busch IV will step away from a day-to-day role, all eyes are watching to see if Peacock will get the nod from InBev CEO Carlos Brito.