Anheuser-Busch Announces Management Changes; Growth and Expansion Lead to Key Moves.

Business Editors

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 2004

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (NYSE:BUD) President August A. Busch IV today announced changes to the company's management to reflect the growth and expansion of the company's beer business.

The company has appointed Michael J. Owens to the newly created position of vice president of sales and marketing. Owens will gain responsibility for all marketing divisions while retaining his current broad U.S. sales responsibilities. Owens will join the company's strategy committee of top executives and will remain on the Anheuser-Busch, Inc. management committee. He will report to Busch.

The move recognizes the importance of the sales and marketing roles on the corporation's performance and unites the two areas under a single strategic direction.

"For the past three years, Mike has successfully led the Anheuser-Busch selling effort with innovative strategies that have helped achieve the company's continued sales growth," said Busch.

"Mike's appointment is an important strategic and operational change that will allow the company to benefit from his strong leadership and broad experience."

Prior to leading the A-BI sales organization, Owens was vice president of retail marketing for seven years, helping to shape the company's industry-leading efforts in geographic marketing, retail sales promotion, promotional products, merchandising and retail marketing communications.

Owens has held a variety of management positions since he joined Anheuser-Busch in 1981, including brand marketing where he led the Budweiser brand business, geographic and entertainment marketing, sports marketing and other operational and sales positions.

Owens holds a master's degree in sports marketing from Ohio University and a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Missouri - Columbia.

Busch also announced two other key appointments to the company's strategy committee of top executives.

"As we look to the future, our international success is also critical. One of the key drivers to continued global growth is the ability to bring our marketing and media skills to a broad audience," Busch added. In order to reflect the outstanding work that has already been accomplished on this front, as well as to further realize the company's long-term strategy of becoming one company, Busch announced that Robert C. Lachky, vice president, brand management and director, global brand creative will join the company's strategy committee. "This move recognizes Bob as one of the best strategic and creative minds in any industry, and Bob will continue to work directly with me on creative strategy and development," Busch said.

Lachky began his career with Anheuser-Busch, Inc. in 1989 following a distinguished eight and a half year career at DDB Needham Worldwide in Chicago, where he worked as an account manager for Anheuser-Busch and its Busch Beer and Bud Light brands.

Early in his career at Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Lachky introduced marketing and advertising strategies for Bud Light that led to Bud Light becoming the No. 1 selling light beer in America. In 2001, the brand became the largest selling U.S. beer overall.

In his current position, Lachky is responsible for the worldwide marketing and award-winning advertising of the more than 40 brands that make up the company's brand portfolio.

In 2001, Lachky was selected as Marketer of the Year by Brandweek magazine, an influential marketing trade publication, and in 2003, he was selected as one of Advertising Age's "Marketing 50" for the successful introduction of Michelob ULTRA.

Lachky holds a bachelor's degree in communications and master's in communication from the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Anthony T. Ponturo, vice president, global media and sports marketing, will also become a member of the company's strategy committee, Busch announced. "Tony's efforts have been and remain instrumental in our ability to build our presence around the world through securing key sports sponsorships and garnering prime media properties for the company," said Busch.

Ponturo joined Anheuser-Busch, Inc. in 1982. In his current position, Ponturo's responsibilities range from directing the media planning and buying functions domestically and internationally for the company's beer brands, as well as for subsidiaries including Busch Gardens and SeaWorld, to overseeing sports marketing and sports production operations.

In addition to media, Ponturo is also responsible for overseeing Anheuser-Busch's sports marketing activities. The company is one of the world's largest corporate sports sponsors, with over 3,000 events ranging from professional to local grassroots programs.

Bud Sports Productions, another in-house unit working under Ponturo's direction, is a fully integrated broadcast production group annually producing more than 800 sports and entertainment broadcasts and telecasts. Projects range from in-house video productions, to entertainment specials, to play-by-play broadcasts of professional baseball, hockey and football.

Ponturo has a broad background in media planning and buying with previous experience at BBDO, McCann-Erickson and D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles/New York. Ponturo began his media career in New York as an NBC page. Ponturo was ranked No. 11 in The Sporting News ranking of the top 100 most powerful people in sports and was ranked as the most influential person in sports marketing by the Sports Business Journal in 2004.

Ponturo graduated from Villanova University in Philadelphia.

Owens, Lachky and Ponturo will remain on the board of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., as well as on its management committee, a group consisting of the subsidiary's top executives. According to Busch, "The integration of these three gentlemen into Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. through their positions on the strategy committee is one more step in helping us achieve a united and seamless management team, better enabling us to be one company, with one goal: To be the world's best beer company."

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is the leading U.S. brewer and holds a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. In a survey of 10,000 business leaders and securities analysts, Anheuser-Busch ranked first overall in quality of products and services among nearly 600 companies researched in FORTUNE magazine's 2004 "America's Most Admired Companies" listing. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is the company's U.S. beer subsidiary. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers.

SOURCE: Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.