What this CEO of a drinks company learnt from the tech industry

What this CEO of a drinks company learnt from the tech industry

From 15 Minutes with the Boss by The Australian Financial Review

May 18, 2026 · 20 min · Season 4 · Episode 16

About this episode

Anubha Sahasrabuddhe discusses her experiences in the tech industry and how they influenced her leadership at Lion.

One of Anubha Sahasrabuddhe’s proudest moments was getting Chinese consumers to drink Coca-Cola – and lots of it. Earlier in her career, Sahasrabuddhe, now the chief executive of brewing giant Lion, was asked to go to China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and take on the competition, Pepsi. Sahasrabuddhe’s stint was a success, but there were also failures. The experience led the chief executive to adopt a strategy she says the tech industry has mastered. On this week’s episode, BOSS editor Sally Patten sits down with the boss of Australia’s second biggest brewing company to find out how past mistakes have shaped future wins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Sally Patten

Guest: Anubha Sahasrabuddhe

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • business strategy
  • marketing
  • failure and success
  • brewing industry

Keywords

  • CEO
  • drinks company
  • Coca-Cola
  • Pepsi
  • China
  • business strategy
  • marketing
  • Beijing Olympics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Lion, BOSS

Places: China

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