Our People

Our experienced and diverse senior management team is led by our Managing Director Peter Simons, who has a long history with The HEINEKEN Company around the world. Meet the team below.

Managing Director

Peter Simons

Peter Simons joined DB as Managing Director in August 2017. He is an internationally-oriented business leader with an extensive background in executive management, sales, marketing/trade marketing, logistics, joint ventures, and exports. Prior to DB, Peter worked in a number commercial and management roles within The HEINEKEN Company, including management of joint venture businesses with SAB and Diageo in SA, as GM of Export for Central & Eastern Europe, and most recently as Managing Director of HEINEKEN’s Hanoi-based Vietnamese operating company.

Peter is results driven, pragmatic, passionate about fostering innovation throughout the value chain and developing people to reach their full potential.

He is fully committed to building on DB’s leadership role as a responsible beer and cider producer.

Supply Chain Director

Christopher Kerr

Christopher Kerr is DB’s Supply Chain Director and is an expert on driving efficiencies, cost savings, and customer service improvement. Chris has held various positions within The HEINEKEN Company such as Global Director of Total Productive Management and most recently Supply Chain Director of Athenian Breweries in Greece.

General Counsel

Karyn O'Loughlin

Karyn O’Loughlin is DB’s General Counsel and has been with DB since October 2017. Prior to joining DB, she spent four years as Senior Legal Counsel at McDonald’s New Zealand Head Office. Karyn prides herself on providing high quality, pragmatic commercial advice to all areas of the business, and enjoys the fast-paced environment within which DB operates. Since joining DB, she has made valuable contributions to the integration of Tuatara into the business and the introduction of seltzers. She has been instrumental in enhancing DB’s commercial interests across numerous projects and initiatives.

Finance Director

Krithik Ranganathan

Krithik joined DB as the Finance Director at DB in October 2020 from Goodman Fielder (NZ) where he was the Head of Finance and a key member of the Executive Leadership Team. Krithik is a member of the Institute of Directors NZ, and has held senior finance roles in the FMCG and building industries around the world, including in New Zealand, Australia, India, and the UK.

Marketing Director

Jo Mitchell

Jo was appointed as the Marketing Director at DB in September 2020, and brought with her a broad range of expertise from the FMCG & Retail industries. Jo joined DB from McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd. where she was the Director of Marketing (NZ) from 2016. In 2019, Jo won the TVNZ Marketer of the Year Award which recognised the consecutive years of successful marketing strategies and resulting business success. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Jo held various senior marketing roles in the FMCG and telecommunications industries in both the UK and New Zealand.

Corporate Affairs Director

Matthew Wilson

Matt Wilson joined DB in December 2009 and was originally appointed to the Senior Leadership Team in September 2013. Before joining DB, Matt worked both overseas and in New Zealand at leading law firms and banks. In 2017, Matt moved with HEINEKEN on international assignment as Corporate Affairs Director of HEINEKEN Vietnam, before returning to DB in 2020 as Corporate Affairs Director. Matt’s responsibilities include public affairs, internal and external communications, and sustainability, as well as transformation and strategic projects.

Sales Director

Paul Millward

Paul was appointed as Sales Director in August 2017, having started with DB in 2010 as Head of Retail. Under Paul’s leadership, DB has won numerous awards for customer engagement. Paul is especially proud of helping to develop strong sales teams and leaders who are customer-centric and who develop great people. Paul brought to DB over 20 years of professional experience and has held a number of commercial and leadership roles in the FMCG and entertainment sectors in NZ, Europe, and USA. Outside of work, Paul loves to spend time with his young family, and his favourite beer is an ice-cold Heineken.

Human Resources Director

Rebecca Mead

Rebecca Mead is DB’s Human Resources Director and leads her team in developing a great organisational culture and initiatives in the people space. Rebecca has held senior HR roles across the banking and logistics sectors. She is passionate about the roles people play in enabling business performance and creating a winning culture.