Jonathan Kendrick, Chairman and CEO of the ROKiT Group of Companies, has announced the promotion of Graham Higgins to the position of Chief Executive Officer and of Lee Barber to Chief Commercial Officer of its beverages company, ROKiT Drinks.
Kendrick said, “Graham is a highly respected figure in the international drinks industry with over 25 years of experience in the business and has been with ROKiT Drinks since we founded the company 4 years ago.
'Similarly, Lee also has 25 years industry experience working for Bass Brewers, Molson Coors and Carlsberg UK before joining ROKiT Drinks in 2017 as UK Sales Director.
'Both have been pivotal in driving international distribution, in particular, of our multi award-winning ABK Bavarian Lager brand from our historic 700-year-old brewery in Germany.'
Kendrink noted that the pair built partnerships with 50 On-Trade wholesalers across the UK, growing the ABK Bavarian Lager brand to be one of the fastest growing lager brands in the UK with 2,000 new draught distribution points, as well as placement in premium supermarkets such as Booths in the North-West, along with distribution into new territories such as Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Ukraine, and Russia.
Kendrick added, “Given the challenging trading conditions under this global pandemic, these are no mean achievements.”
Kendrick commented, “I’m very proud to have been promoted to CEO and, with the support of Lee and the entire team at ROKiT Drinks, I look forward to driving further growth and development of the business internationally, to include the launch of our award-winning Bandero Tequila in the UK this year, together with a new premium spirits and wines range to be added to our portfolio.”
Lee Barber said, “I am delighted to take on this new role at ROKiT Drinks. We have come a long way in the past 4 years, and I am looking forward to ensuring more and more customers experience the service levels and award-winning products that set us apart. Exciting times ahead!”