Malolan Sampath takes over as Champion Breweries CEO

Malolan Sampath has formally taken over as managing director and chief executive officer of Champion Breweries Plc, beginning a new phase in the company’s leadership transition.

The company said Sampath assumed office on September 1, 2026, following the board’s earlier announcement of his appointment. He has more than 26 years of international leadership experience across the beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, manufacturing and agro-industrial sectors.

His previous beverage and brewing experience includes serving as managing director of Unique Beverages in Angola and as sales and marketing director for a PepsiCo bottling franchise. Before joining Champion Breweries, he held the dual position of managing director of the NPK Joint Venture and chief marketing officer at Indorama Eleme Fertilizers in Nigeria. He also served as chief executive officer of Global Industries Limited, a Wilmar International joint venture in Zambia.

Sampath holds a postgraduate diploma in management from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD in Pune and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Chennai. Champion’s board said his experience in manufacturing, commercial execution, business transformation and leadership across diverse markets would support the company’s objectives, strengthen its market position and create long-term value.

The board also thanked Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, the company’s executive director for finance, for serving as acting managing director during the transition.