Huw Bement joins former Beam colleagues at Cobra UK

Cobra Beer has announced the appointment of Huw Bement in the newly-created role of On-Trade Channel Controller.

Bement is the latest Beam Global Spirits & Wine staffer to follow former Beam Global UK managing director, Adrian McKeon to the lager producer. Beam UK's commercial director, Nick Paget also joined Cobra in the last year.

Cobra is midway through what it describes as a "concerted push" into the on-trade, aiming for 20,000 new account listings by the end of 2009.

The brewer said the addition of Huw Bement to Cobra's in-house sales force as well as a new trade marketing team, meant it was "further reinforcing its commercial expertise".

Prior to working at Beam, Bement held senior sales roles at Allied Domecq and Coca-Cola Enterprises. At Cobra, he will oversee a sales team of 23 people and will be charged with the task of "significantly growing" the brand's presence in the on-trade sector.

He will also be responsible for managing the Retail and Wholesale customers within the channel. Bement reports directly to Nick Paget, Cobra's commercial director.