Carlsberg Germany appoints new Managing Director Sales Trade
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As of March 1, 2025, Kai Grzywatz will take over the position of Managing Director Retail Sales at Carlsberg Germany. He succeeds Gunnar Fischer, who had taken over the role from Grzywatz's predecessor Kay Knepper on an interim basis since March of this year, in addition to his role as Managing Director Marketing. With his extensive expertise on both the manufacturer and retailer side, Kai Grzywatz will strengthen the strategic orientation and market presence of the Carlsberg Group, one of the world's leading brewing groups, in Germany.
With almost twenty years of sales experience in well-known food companies, Kai Grzywatz is an experienced industry expert. In addition to management positions at Coca-Cola and Melitta, among others, he worked for five years as Sales Director at the Paulaner Brewery Group (JV Heineken/Schörghuber) before moving to his current employer Mars Germany as Customer Business Director in 2018. In his leading positions, he made a significant contribution to the strategic direction, brand development and profitability in various markets.
“We are delighted to have gained an experienced, likeable and dynamic leader in Kai, who ideally embodies the “Brewing for a better today and tomorrow” mentality rooted at Carlsberg,” said Simon Mosegaard Fibiger, CEO of Carlsberg Germany, welcoming the decision. “With his international experience, his success in building sustainable customer relationships and his strategic vision, he will significantly support our ambitious growth strategy with a focus on premium, innovation and sustainability. At the same time, we would like to thank Gunnar Fischer for his dedicated dual commitment to marketing and sales.”
Kai Grzywatz is looking forward to his new role: “The diverse FMCG sector has always fascinated me and my time at Paulaner has taught me to appreciate and love the brewing industry in particular. Beer is a complex, fascinating product that is rightly a cultural asset in Germany. It is therefore great to become part of a brewery group that is so rich in tradition and at the same time so future-oriented, and to be able to further develop the retail sales division together with my new team. Carlsberg Germany has a very attractive portfolio with strong international and local brands - I would like to build on this and actively shape the market together with my colleagues and our committed partners and set new, forward-looking impulses.”
