HEINEKEN Cambodia today announces the official appointment of Andy Hewson as its new Managing Director. Andy has assumed his new role since 1 August 2023, reporting to Uday Sinha, HEINEKEN’s Regional Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Andy takes over the role from Samson Wong, who has been at the helm of the leading international brewer for the past five years. Over the last years, HEINEKEN Cambodia strengthened its value leadership in a flourishing beer category and accelerated a transformative journey to pave the way in innovation, sustainability, and responsibility, maximising the value it brings to local value chains and communities. At the height of the pandemic storm, Samson doubled down on the brewer’s People-First and ‘Brew A Better Cambodia’ agenda to affirm HEINEKEN Cambodia’s long-term commitment to its people and the Kingdom during a critical period marked by unprecedented challenges.

HEINEKEN Cambodia’s roots were first established in 1994

Andy said, “I am truly honoured for the opportunity to build on the meaningful legacy of Samson and the predecessors before him since 1994, when HEINEKEN Cambodia’s roots were first established. I would like to thank Samson for his guidance and tremendous support, not only during my first month here, but also over the years as we grew to become friends throughout our HEINEKEN careers. I am excited to continue the great work with my new 700-strong team, living up to our purpose of brewing the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better Cambodia and the world.” 

Andy has been with the HEINEKEN group for more than 12 years. He held various General Management roles for HEINEKEN-owned breweries and subsidiaries in the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, and most recently, Singapore. In addition to his responsibilities as Managing Director, Andy is also (and will continue to be) the Chairman of HEINEKEN’s APAC BOOST (Building Our Own Sustainable Talent) Steering Committee – a longstanding programme to develop talents in the APAC region.

During his tenure in Singapore with Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore or APBS (part of The HEINEKEN Company) from 2018 to 2023, Andy led a total transformation through a new growth strategy and a people-centred leadership focus. In 2023, APBS was certified by Great Place to Work and recognised as a Top 10 employer in Singapore’s Best Employers list by global market research firm Statista, in collaboration with The Straits Times. APBS is also home to the iconic Tiger Beer, which crossed a momentous milestone when it turned 90 in 2022’s Year of the Tiger. In 2023, Tiger became the ‘Most Valuable Southeast Asian Brand’ in a ranking by Kantar BrandZ, an industry-leading global brand valuation platform.

Writing the Next Chapter Of Growth In Cambodia

When Andy reported to work at HEINEKEN Cambodia on his first day, a Tiger sculpture that stands majestically at the entrance of the commercial office greeted him with warmth and familiarity. Andy commented, “Having had the privilege of leading Tiger in its birthplace is a huge source of pride for me. Tiger also has a special place in HEINEKEN Cambodia’s history, from being our first international beer brewed locally here to becoming the leader of the premium segment in Cambodia.

Today, it is amazing to see how Tiger’s boldness has taken shape here, from empowering Cambodians to uncage their passion in the arts, to further embedding sustainability with a pioneering glass bottle return program led by local entrepreneurs in the F&B and hospitality scene. It is what we mean by living up to our purpose, which our customers and consumers can continue to count on as we write our next chapter of growth with our beloved portfolio comprising Heineken®, Tiger, ABC, Anchor, and Gold Crown.”

Prior to HEINEKEN, Andy has over 15 years of commercial experience in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), with a focus on F&B sectors across beer, spirits, and food categories within Asia Pacific. Andy graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and completed post-graduate studies at INSEAD and Harvard.