Andy Gibson joins Fosters as chief marketing officer

In a move seen to conform to Foster’s Group CEO John Pollaers’ desire to bring on more international talent at the beer company, Gibson will take over from Paul Donaldson, who was made acting CMO in September last year.

Pollaers says Gibson worked for  12 years at Diageo, in a stint that saw him take on a number of roles across five continents, including general manager of innovation. He hailed Gibson’s appointment as reaffirming the company’s commitment to “investing in the iconic brands that will drive the growth of the business.”

Gibson will work with both Droga 5 and Clemenger BBDO Melbourne in marketing Foster’s iconic brands including Carlton Draught, Victoria Bitter and Cascade. He says brand pride and the nature of the beer market globally made the beer market in Australia “an exciting environment for any marketer.”

The Foster’s Group recently initiated an effort to increase insights and analysis within the business and Gibson, who has left his Diageo post and will start with Foster’s on November 1, will also head up a large consumer research project.