Greyhound Consulting founder, John Hunt, has spent the last 20 years working in the global beer industry. Using a network of former Senior Executives and Professionals from the sector, Greyhound Consulting aims to provide insight to its clients whether:

• Advisory to Equity and M&A Investors; or
• Companies large and small operating in the brewing and alcoholic beverages sector

Strategy: International growth through acquisition and joint ventures.

The period 1998 to 2010 saw unprecedented change in global brewing with the top brewers between them spending some $200 bn on acquisitions to move from national family owned businesses to global players. John played a lead part in acquisitions in France and Russia and in setting up joint ventures in India, China and Vietnam.

Strategy: Creating value and driving growth

All brewers have been searching for a way to drive growth and realise the benefits from these acquisitions. In each of Scottish & Newcastle and Heineken International, John played a lead part in programs focused on:

• Learning to leverage scale in a global business
• Building business excellence

Working with world class consultancies

During this period John has led major CHANGE programs involving Management Boards, Regional Teams and Local Business Unit Leaders assisted by Strategy Consultancies such as Bain & Co, Marakon Associates, BCG and Cap Gemini. John has therefore seen both sides of Business Strategy: combining the reality of front line global business, with world class strategic thinking and process.

Leadership

As a Business Leader, John was a member of Senior Management Team at Heineken and of the Executive Management Committee at S&N. As MD for S&N’s Asia Division he was a member of public boards in China (State Controlled but Shanghai listed Chongqing Breweries) and India (Mumbai listed United Breweries) as well as the Private Company JV with Vinataba (State Controlled Vietnamese National Tobacco Corporation).