The UK division of Moskovskaya vodka owner Amber Beverage Group has released details of a change of MD following last year’s departure of Sam Thackeray.
Amber, which sits alongside Stoli Group in businessman Yuri Shefler’s portfolio, said late yesterday that its UK unit had appointed Pavel Verblyudenko to head up operations. Verblyudenko (below) joins the company from outside the beverage alcohol industry, having spent 18 months as group chief international sales & global accounts officer at Italy’s MTD Medical Technology & Devices.
Back in late 2011, Verblyudenko joined Brown-Forman as GM of the company’s operations in Russia, a position he held until February 2014. He started the role at Amber earlier this month.
Thackeray, who assumed the MD role after joining from Enotria at the start of 2023, stepped down in December.
“The UK is one of the most important markets for Amber Beverage Group, both as a strategic distribution platform and as a home to some of our most exciting brand-building opportunities,” said group CEO Normunds Stanevics, who has been in post since July. “Pavel’s appointment reflects our commitment to strengthening our UK operations with experienced, results-driven leadership.
“I am confident he has the commercial acumen and transformation experience to unlock the full potential of what ABUK can be.”
Earlier this month, Amber announced it had had to default on a financial loan, two weeks after putting its Latvia-based production company, Amber Latvijas balzams, into legal protection to allow for business as usual, pending a “financial restructuring”.
