Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania CEO, Darren Fullerton, will retire in March 2025, leading the final stages of Suntory Oceania’s creation and then continuing as an advisor.
Fullerton said the last five years building Suntory Oceania, which will launch mid-2025, has been a career highlight.
“Being part of an organisation that aligns so closely to my values and unlocking the potential of our Oceania business has been an incredible privilege,” Fullerton said.
Suntory Beverage & Food president Makiko Ono, President of, praised Fullerton’s contributions, saying, “Darren has been an extraordinary leader, driving growth, innovation and a culture of excellence in Oceania. He has lived the One Suntory mindset and set a benchmark for our future global business.”
The creation of Suntory Oceania – the combining of Frucor Suntory and Beam Suntory to create a $3 billion beverage company – was announced in August 2023. Fullerton and Beam Suntory CEO Mark Hill have been at the core of building the “new” business, including the construction of its $400 million Swanbank facility in Ipswich, Queensland.
When Suntory Oceania was announced, Fullerton told Food & Drink Business, “It is about bringing the best of Suntory to the region. We talk about it in terms of by coming together we are greater than the sum of our parts. This gives us the opportunity to realise the full potential of our existing brands and categories but to also go beyond it. The technology and innovation that is coming out of Suntory is amazing, and it is our intent to bring that to Oceania.”
Fullerton joined Suntory in 2020 following CEO roles at PepsiCo and Winc, and has been instrumental to the growth and evolution of the business into a dynamic beverage player across Australia and New Zealand, the company said.
While at PepsiCo, he was behind the launch of Red Rock Deli Chips. In 2022, Fullerton completed Food & Drink Business’ “The Fast Five” citing the launch as one of his greatest achievements “to date”.
“It would definitely be the launch of Red Rock Deli Chips – one of the great snack brands launched in the last 20 years. I was on the original project team in 2001, and led the New South Wales test market in 2002, which eventuated in PepsiCo’s significant investment in the world’s first continuous kettle fryer and a full-scale launch. Today, it is amazing to reminisce on those humble beginnings when looking at what a FMCG powerhouse brand it has become,” he said.
On his retirement from Suntory Oceania, Fullerton said, “The creation of Suntory Oceania firmly positions the business for a strong and successful future, built on a foundation of Suntory’s ambitious ‘Yatte Minahare’ spirit. I know the team will continue to thrive and I look forward to supporting the business in an advisory role.”
