Global brewer SABMiller said it had brought forward the appointment of its new chief executive, Alan Clark, Reuters reported.
Clark, who has been chief operating officer since last July, had been due to take over in July this year from 63-year-old executive chairman Graham Mackay, with the intention that Mackay would then move to a non-executive role.
Mackay has been diagnosed with a tumour, underwent surgery on Monday, and will now follow a course of treatment, the company said.
“The transition of management responsibilities to Alan Clark is already well advanced. The group is in excellent hands, and Alan will now simply pick up the remaining executive responsibilities a little sooner than expected,” Mackay said in a note to employees on Tuesday.