He will succeed Jozef Salaerts, who has led the Asia Pacific division for nine years since 2007. Under Mr Salaerts’ guidance, Crown Asia Pacific grew with sales of US$1.2 billion and a segment income of US$145 million in 2015, compared to sales and segment income of approximately US$480 million and US$45 million respectively in 2007.
Mr Bourque was promoted from his previous position as senior vice president of Crown beverage and packaging in China and Hong Kong. He will be based in Singapore and will oversee all operations across Southeast Asia and China, reporting to Timothy J. Donahue, Crown’s president and chief executive officer.
Commenting on the new appointment, Mr Donahue stated: “We are fortunate to have someone of Robert’s calibre ready to lead the Asia Pacific division as it continues to grow. I am confident that the company will continue to benefit from Robert’s management skills, knowledge of our business and commitment to our customers.”
“Crown Asia Pacific has experienced continuous growth over the years with the regional consumers’ growing preference for beverage in metal cans. I look forward to continuing this exciting journey and partnering closely with our customers in Asia to deliver innovative and sustainable metal packaging solutions,” said Mr Bourque.
Currently, Crown operates 32 plants with beverage, food can, aerosol and general line packaging production lines across China and Southeast Asia. The company is building a third Cambodian beverage can plant in Phnom Penh and adding an end capability to the Sihanoukville beverage can plant. Both are expected to begin commercial production during the second quarter of this year.
