We take a look at some of the people taking on new jobs in the beverage industry as we head towards a new year.
We take a look at some of the people taking on new jobs as we head towards a new year.
Master Distiller Jesus Susunaga Acosta has ben appointed as Campari Group’s new Maestro Tequilero.
He will oversee the entire Casa San Nicolás product line, contributing in the maintenance of the highest quality standards of the present award-winning Mexican spirits, such as Espolón and Cabo Wabo, as well as future innovations in the Arandas plant in Jalisco, Mexico.
The new post comes at a time when premium-plus tequila is experiencing a growing demand globally for authentic Mexican agave products.
In addition to contributing to the brands' high standards of quality, Acosta will be responsible for shaping the future of tequila innovation for the group at the Arandas plant. He'll also work as a global tequila advocate as he continues to travel and teach about Casa San Nicolás tequilas.
A native of Veracruz, with a deep passion for tequila, Acosta acquired a wide knowledge on distillation throughout his extensive travels around the world. Over the years, he's spent time at distilleries in Scotland, France, Brazil, Italy, England, the Caribbean and elsewhere, learning from masters of local tradition.
Acosta is also a professor at Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, the university where he obtained his Masters in Tequila Processing, a job that allows him to fulfill another one of his passions: educating a new generation of agave enthusiasts and tequila producers.
PepsiCo has made two senior leadership appointments. Jane Wakely will join the company as Executive Vice President, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods; while Ram Krishnan, currently serving as Chief Commercial Officer, will move into the newly created role of CEO, International Beverages and Chief Commercial Officer.
Both executives will report to PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta.
As Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer, Wakely will focus on driving accelerated growth by elevating PepsiCo's consumer-centricity, innovation, brand and marketing capabilities. As Chief Growth Officer, International Foods, she will be responsible for accelerating the Positive Choices pillar of pep+ (PepsiCo Positive), which includes evolving the company's portfolio into new spaces that are better for the planet and people by developing products with more diverse ingredients, such as plant-based proteins, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.
Wakely joins PepsiCo with 28 years of marketing experience at Procter & Gamble and at Mars, where since 2019 she served as Lead CMO and CMO of Pet Nutrition, one of the largest divisions of Mars' $40bn portfolio. She was previously Global CMO of their Chocolate Division. She has operated globally and in highly complex product categories, brands and businesses across a variety of growth, turnaround and transformation challenges.
Meanwhile, Ram Krishnan, a 15-year PepsiCo veteran, will focus on driving accelerated growth for the International Beverages business, including the company's international franchise bottlers, with an end-to-end focus on brand-building, innovation, supply chain, digitalization, talent and sustainability. Krishnan will also be charged with leading faster growth for the SodaStream and Beyond the Bottle businesses, as well as the Pepsi Lipton partnership, the company's joint venture with Unilever.
This move, effective January 1, 2022, will bring PepsiCo's critical beverage expertise and commercial capabilities into one group, with an eye toward optimizing the end-to-end operating model, capital allocations and building new capabilities. Krishnan will continue to oversee the company's e-Commerce business and global commercial capabilities.
Bacardi has appointed Astrophel "Troy" Arquiza as its new Global Master Blender for BACARDÍ rum (the "Maestro de Ron").
Arquiza, who is originally from the Philippines, has spent more than two decades with family-owned Bacardi, honing his craft as a rum blender and training for many years under the current rum Global Master Blender, José "Joe" Gomez, who is retiring after 41-years with Bacardi.
Based at the largest premium rum distillery in the world, Casa Bacardi, in Cataño, Puerto Rico, Troy will head up a team of rum blenders with responsibility for protecting the integrity and quality of Bacardi rum globally.
He will also oversee the distillation and aging of Bacardi rum, help develop new innovations, and share his passion and skills to nurture a future generation of Master Blenders.
Arquiza joins Bacardi’s family of Master Blenders and Master Distillers including Stephanie Macleod (Dewar’s Blended Scotch whisky); Anne Brock (Bombay Sapphire gin); David Rodriquez (Patron tequila); Beppe Musso (Martini Vermouth); and François Thibault (Grey Goose vodka).
Constellation Brands has appointed Billy Lagor as senior vice president, brand management – wine and spirits division. He will report to Robert Hanson, president of the division.
Lagor will oversee the organization responsible for brand management supporting the company’s mainstream and premium wine and spirits brand portfolio. He will guide the organization in driving innovative marketing strategies that support Constellation’s strategic imperatives to drive growth, market share expansion, and consumer engagement. Focus brands within this portfolio include Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Woodbridge, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Svedka Vodka and Ruffino Winery.
Lagor is a seasoned business leader with over 25 years’ experience across a variety of CPG segments. He currently serves as a board member for Juice Plus, where he also served as Chief Growth Officer for the past approximately two years, leading the company’s digital, brand management and organizational capabilities transformations.
Previously, Lagor spent 15 years at Hasbro, Inc., in a number of general management and brand management leadership roles, in the US and in Asia Pacific. His most recent role at the company was as Senior Vice President and General Manager overseeing the company’s Global E-Commerce and Channel Strategy.
Lagor’s career to date also includes five years in brand management at Proctor & Gamble. He has a bachelor’s degree in History from Yale University and master’s degree from Harvard Business School.
spiritsEUROPE has elected Manu Giró as new President of the organisation, succeeding Christian Porta, Managing Director, Global Business Development at Pernod Ricard, who stood at the helm of the organisation for the past four years.
Following his election during this month’s General Assembly, he assumes the role of President for a term of two years. Based in Barcelona, Giró is the CEO of MG Destilerias, a family-owned distillery founded at the end of 19th century. MG owns a premium portfolio of different spirits brands and is present in more than 50 markets worldwide.
Giró will play a key role in helping to promote, protect and grow the European spirits sector in the EU and in third markets. He will also lead efforts in key areas for the industry environmental sustainability, consumer information, digital labelling, product innovation, and responsible drinking.
The Institute of Brewing & Distilling has announced Bhavya Mandanna as the new President of the organization, taking on the role from Douglas Murray who has stepped down at the end of his two-year tenure.
Murray will remain in the role of Immediate Past President and as a Director and Trustee of the London-based organization.
As the new President, Mandanna’s main responsibilities will be Board leadership, advocacy and promotion of the IBD’s relevance to the membership and wider industry.
Originally from Bangalore, in India, Bhavya started her professional career at Molson Coors in the UK, in 2010 as a Supply Chain Brewing Student, and progressed to become Technical Brewer before she joined Carlsberg UK in 2014. Since then, Bhavya has gained extensive senior leadership experience in the supply chain, in positions including Regional Team Lead – Brewing and Processing – Western Europe, Production Director for Olympic Brewery S.A. (a part of Carlsberg Group) in Greece, and most recently as Senior Director of Production for Carlsberg Denmark.
Bhavya holds an MBA from the University of Warwick and a Masters qualification in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University. In 2014, she became one of the youngest IBD Master Brewers and winner of the J S Hough Award.