Beam Suntory, Campari Group and Brown-Forman are among the companies welcoming new faces to top jobs.
Beam Suntory, Campari Group and Brown-Forman are among the companies welcoming new faces to top jobs.
Beam Suntory has appointed Alex Alvarez as Chief Supply Chain Officer. In this role, Alvarez will be responsible for Beam Suntory’s global operations, including 19 distilleries and bottling plants, as well as the company's supply chain, procurement and quality functions.
He succeeds David Hunter, who will retire at the end of January 2023.
Alvarez joins Beam Suntory following a 15-year career at Brown Forman where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of ESG.
Prior to that role, he held the executive role of Senior Vice President, Chief Production and Sustainability Officer.
Earlier in his career, he served in manufacturing and operations roles of increasing responsibility at Procter & Gamble and General Mills.
Alvarez sits on several boards including the DendriFund, the American Forest Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Louisville. In 2021, he was recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as a ‘Top Latino in Corporate America.’
Originally from Panama, Alvarez holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.
Campari America has announced two new leadership changes, which became effective as of January 2, 2023.
Following a seven-year tenure as Managing Director for the US, Ugo Fiorenzo will now take on the new title of Managing Director for the US and Canada. Fiorenzo’s scope will now extend to the Canadian market, where he will be responsible for leading growth and delivering at high levels for the company.
An experienced veteran, Fiorenzo has led Campari’s profitable growth in the US business while building a high performing and talented team. He was also recently appointed as Chairman of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.
This appointment comes in conjunction with another significant leadership evolution for Melanie Batchelor, who, after three years in her role as Managing Director for Canada, will be appointed Managing Director of Sales & RARE for Campari America.
In this expanded role, Batchelor will report to Ugo Fiorenzo where she will be responsible for the design and execution of all commercial strategies for the US Market, as well as leading the relationship with commercial partners and stakeholders. She will also oversee the recently launched RARE division, which aims to unlock and accelerate the growth of a select range of super-premium and above alcohol brands.
With more than 11 years in the Campari Group family, Batchelor has held many positions within the organization including her role as Campari America’s Vice President of Marketing overseeing the company’s portfolio of brands encompassing advertising, public relations, digital integration and influencer relations, and Global Marketing Lead for Spirits Brands prior to that.
Brown‑Forman Corporation has appointed Larry Combs to the newly created role of Chief Information Officer and Director of Supply Chain Integration and Strategy; and Melvin Keebler to the role of General Manager, Jack Daniel Distillery Supply Chain, effective immediately.
Brown-Forman notes that global supply chains have been under for pressure for the last few years, driven in part by a lack of modern technologies to address the stressors. The new Chief Information Officer role, therefore, will help the company work through these challenges.
Larry Combs will be responsible for the strategic direction of Brown‑Forman’s application technologies, enterprise architecture, data and analytics strategy and framework, and portfolio management, as well as the continued development and execution of logistics, procurement, planning, and production strategies.
Most recently, Combs served as the Senior Vice President, Global Director, Jack Daniel’s Supply Chain/Procurement/Planning/Logistics. Over his 30-year career at Brown‑Forman, he has worked in a variety of roles including Global Quality Director, Vice President Production Services, and Senior Vice President Technical Services. Combs has been responsible for functions including engineering, R&D, environmental compliance, package engineering, and quality assurance.
Meanwhile, Melvin Keebler will become General Manager of the Jack Daniel Distillery Supply Chain. In addition to leading the Jack Daniel Distillery operations in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Keebler will be responsible for Brown‑Forman Cooperage operations. This includes overseeing the production of new barrels and the process and distribution of used barrels.
Keebler has been with Brown‑Forman for more than 20 years, progressing through numerous leadership roles at the Jack Daniel Distillery including quality, warehousing, engineering, maintenance, production, and used barrels operations. He previously served as the General Manager, Jack Daniel Distillery, where he led all site and homeplace operations.
Hédi Hichri joins Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) France as Director of Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainable Development.
Hédi Hichri is an expert in public affairs and communication in the food industry, having previously occupied roles as Director of Communication and Public Affairs at Mars Wrigley France and One Mars France. His background also includes other roles in corporate communications with Fleishman-Hillard, Burson-Marsteller et Lowe Strateus.
In his new role at CCEP France, Hichri will be tasked with continuing to work towards the group’s goals, notably its net zero emission 2040 pledge. He will also lead internal and external communications in collaboration with brands and The Coca-Cola Company.
Beverage alcohol distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has promoted Lee Brian Schrager to the position of Chief Communications Officer, continuing to report to Chief Executive Officer Wayne E. Chaplin.
In his newly created role, Schrager will continue to oversee the company’s corporate communications functions, including public relations, employee communications, the company’s corporate website, as well as its Intranet-based communications. In addition, he will continue to oversee the in-house SG Creative services group, which has evolved to be the Company’s center of excellence for creative services, as well as his vital role overseeing many of Southern Glazer’s corporate social responsibility programs.
Schrager will also maintain his position as the Director of both the Food Network South Beach (SOBEWFF) and New York City Wine & Food Festivals (NYCWFF) presented by Capital One.
In his most recent position of Senior Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, which he has held since 2016, Schrager has helped ‘significantly strengthen and expand’ the company’s communications capabilities. This includes the recent creation of SGWS Top Shelf PR, an internal agency that provides strategic public relations services to Southern Glazer’s suppliers. In addition, he helped to support the national expansion of Southern Glazer’s VolunCheers employee volunteering program in 2018, enabling it to evolve from a local program in Florida to one that has empowered employees across North America to complete tens of thousands of hours of volunteer activities.
Under his leadership, the signature South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals have raised nearly $50 million for their benefiting charities; as well as fundraising initiatives to support hospitality workers during the pandemic.
Mr. Schrager joined Southern Wine & Spirits in 2000, after being with a leading international hotel group for more than 15 years in various leadership capacities. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America and at the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Pérez Art Museum Miami and Board of Directors for Food Bank For New York City, as well as a judge for Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list and Celebrated Living’s annual Platinum List Awards. In 2011, Mr. Schrager commemorated the 10th anniversary of SOBEWFF with the release of his first book, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook. Mr. Schrager’s second cookbook, Fried & True was released in May 2014 and third, America’s Best Breakfasts, in April 2016.
ItalSpirits by Giuseppe Gallo - a drinks marketing, events, and brand activation agency – has appointed Roberta Mariani as Advocacy Director.
Roberta previously served as a Global Brand Ambassador for over six years at Martini & Rossi and is a renowned bartender in Italian cocktail culture, having spent almost 15 years in the hospitality and beverage industry. With an passion for mixology and botanicals, Roberta’s past roles include being part of the team which opened multi-award winning aperitivo bar, Bar Termini, in Soho.
At Italspirits, Roberta will be leading on elevating brand experiences, building equity in drinks brands Italicus and Savoia through a program of education and training. She will take the helm on the Art of Italicus challenge, international bar shows and industry program.