Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands and Britvic are among the companies welcoming new faces to top jobs.
Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands and Britvic are among the companies welcoming new faces to top jobs.
Pic:getty/championpix
Yiannis Pafilis will become Brown-Forman’s Executive Vice President, President, Europe, and join the executive leadership team (ELT).
Taking on the role in March, Yiannis Pafilis will lead the long-term strategy for the region and drive growth in European markets. That includes Brown‐Forman’s owned distribution businesses in the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Czechia/Slovakia, Belgium, and Luxembourg; as well as markets that partner for distribution.
Pafilis has been with Louisville, Kentucky-headquartered Brown‑Forman for more than 25 years, first as area sales manager for Greece before being appointed country manager of Greece and Cyprus. He served as group general manager of Southeast Europe, led the Russia business, and spent significant time as vice president, managing director, Germany and Czechia. Pafilis is currently cluster leader of Germany, Czechia/Slovakia, and Poland, while also leading Europe’s commercial strategy.
Marshall Farrer, who currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategic Growth Officer and President, Europe, will retain his responsibilities as Chief Strategic Growth Officer and continue to serve on the ELT and Brown‑Forman Board of Directors.
Farrer will continue to collaborate with the ELT to develop key partnerships, innovative ideas, and corporate development opportunities.
Farrer became President of the Europe region in 2020. He is credited with the creation and transition of owned distribution organizations in the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Slovakia, and the expansion of the Brown‑Forman portfolio offerings in key European markets, introducing existing brands and bringing to market Gin Mare, Diplomático, and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD.
With more than 25 years at Brown‑Forman, Farrer has served on the Executive Leadership Team since 2020 and the Brown‑Forman Board of Directors since 2016. He is a fifth-generation Brown family shareholder.
A.G. BARR has appointed Euan Sutherland as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 May 2024.
Sutherland comes to A.G. BARR after serving as Group CEO of Saga plc, the UK’s specialist products and service provider for people aged 50 and over, having previously been CEO of Superdry plc, The Co-op Group and Group COO of Kingfisher plc.
His background includes roles at Mars and Coca-Cola, plus eight years on the board of Britvic plc as a non-executive director.
The branded multi-beverage business, which is headquartered in Scotland, counts marketing-leading UK brands such as IRN-BRU, Rubicon, FUNKIN and Boost as part of its portfolio.
Sutherland brings to the company ‘a wealth of consumer goods experience… [and] an excellent track record in delivering sustainable growth based on consumer insight, innovation and digital capability, while improving efficiency and profitability through major transformation programs’, says A.G. BARR.
As announced in August last year, Roger White will step down from the Board at the end of April 2024 and will remain available until the end of July to support a smooth leadership transition.
Talking Rain Beverage Company has appointed Emilia Tauss as its new Vice President of Revenue Strategy Management & Planning.
The company – the producer of US top selling sparkling water brand Sparkling Ice – says Tauss will play an integral role in the company’s growth plans, expansion needs and future strategies.
Tauss joins Talking Rain with over 20 years of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) experience at companies such as PepsiCo, Trident Seafoods, Essentia Water and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
She is tasked with building the promotion, category management and sales planning teams at Talking Rain; as well as developing tailored brand recommendations based on shopper insights and buying behavior to increase net revenue.
The addition of Tauss and the Revenue Strategy Management & Planning division follows the appointment of the company’s first Chief Growth Officer, Rich DePencier, a former executive at Starbucks and Procter & Gamble.
UK soft drink company Britvic has appointed Rémy Sharps as the Managing Director of Britvic Teissiere International.
This business unit includes operations in mainland Europe and all export markets.
Rémy spent 10 years with the Carlsberg group, working across numerous sales roles before being appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kronenbourg SAS, France's leading brewer and subsidiary of the Carlsberg Group.
Before this he was Chief Sales Officer for Carlsberg Group globally, working across over 80 markets to transform sales and revenue growth, especially in China and Western Europe.
Prior to joining the Carlsberg Group, he spent 19 years with the Colgate Palmolive Group in sales and marketing divisions.
Sharps will succeed Hessel de Jong who will be stepping down from the company at the end of February.
Constellation Brands has announced two new appointments in its wine and spirits division.
Jim Casey has been promoted to SVP & Chief Sales Officer - Wine and Spirits Division, responsible for leading the division’s U.S. Wholesale commercial business. Since joining Constellation in 2018, Casey has held a number of commercial leadership roles with increasing responsibility and has helped to accelerate Constellation’s consumer-led portfolio premiumization and wine and spirits business transformation efforts.
Jennifer Russell-Smith has been promoted to SVP, Human Resources - Wine and Spirits Division, responsible for Human Resources globally across the division’s commercial, brand and operations functions. Russell-Smith joined Constellation in 2017 with the company’s acquisition of High West Whiskey, bringing valuable experience and subject matter expertise both domestically and internationally.
Constellation Brands has spent the last few years transforming its wine and spirits business into a ‘more focused, higher-end portfolio more aligned with growing sectors of the category’.
Pic: getty/nikida