Simon Thomas, the former managing director for wine at Pernod Ricard UK, has taken up a new senior role a the brewer, SABMiller.

Thomas is to take up the newly-created role of capability director for customer marketing. His role will cover the brewer's performance across a number of key areas including revenue management, customer marketing, shopper insight, account management, and channel management.

Thomas had been with Pernod Ricard for nine years, following an 18-year career with Diageo across a number of senior management roles around the world, including Asia, Australasia, Africa and the UK.

Nick Fell, SABMiller's group marketing director, said: "Our ability to extract full value from our portfolios rests heavily on us building the art and science to manage an increasingly sophisticated ‘modern trade' in some markets; and a highly complex and fragmented traditional trade in others. Simon's extensive experience of international drinks markets stands him in very good stead to make a considerable contribution to the development of our commercial capability agenda."

Thomas said of his appointment: "I am delighted to be joining SABMiller to drive the development of best practice across a number of commercial areas."