Beam Suntory Announces Executive Leadership Moves

Beam Suntory Announces Executive Leadership Moves

Company also announces strategic adjustments to its commercial regions
 

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2022 – Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, and producer of iconic brands like Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, announced today several moves within its executive leadership team effective early 2023.
 

“As we position Beam Suntory for its next stage of growth and approach the end of a very successful year, these leadership and market alignment moves maintain strong continuity and help further our global growth ambitions in premium spirits and RTD,” said Albert Baladi, CEO of Beam Suntory. 

Greg Hughes, currently President North America, and Jessica Spence, currently President Brands, will swap roles effective January 1. As President North America, Spence will be responsible for leading commercial operations in the region that includes the company’s largest and most profitable market, the US. Spence joined Beam Suntory in 2019 as President of Brands where she has established and led the company’s global brands organization.  Prior to Beam Suntory, Spence served as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer for the Carlsberg Group, overseeing the company’s global marketing, sales, insights, R&D and innovation functions. 

Hughes will become Chief Growth and Brands Officer, leading the company’s global brands organization and spearheading growth initiatives including route to market excellence globally. Hughes joined Beam Suntory in 2015 and has driven strong results since becoming President of North America in 2018. 

Yuri Grebenkin, who has led Beam Suntory’s EMEA business for the last six years, is appointed President International, one of the company’s three operating regions. He succeeds Pryce Greenow, who has made the personal decision to leave Beam Suntory at the end of January. Greenow led the region and its diverse set of markets to strong double-digit growth during the past two years. Greenow has held several high-impact roles since joining the company in 2005, including the company’s commercial excellence agenda since 2021. Prior to leading EMEA to a strong track record of performance, Grebenkin led the company’s since-discontinued joint venture with Edrington and also held leadership roles at Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever.  

David Hunter, SVP Global Supply Chain Officer, has made the decision to retire from Beam Suntory at the end of January after 15 years with the company, including the past seven years leading its global supply chain organization. Hunter rallied his organization around the imperatives of quality, safety and continuous improvement. He and his team piloted successive years of record investment in people, processes, expanded plant capacity and visitor facilities across the global supply chain in support of the ambitious growth of the company’s brands. Hunter’s successor will be announced at a future date.  


The company also announced the following market alignment changes to its regional structure:
 

Oceania will become part of the company’s newly renamed Asia Pacific region, which will continue to be led by Sho Semba, President of Asia Pacific and Global RTD. 

Mexico, previously part of the North America region, will become part of the International region so as to leverage the team’s expertise in building successful emerging markets. 

“These changes help further align our leadership and business to achieve our global growth ambitions,” said Baladi. “The contributions that Pryce and David have made to Beam Suntory cannot be overstated, and they will leave with the best wishes of the entire Beam Suntory family. Greg, Jessica and Yuri are fantastic leaders and I look forward to the impacts they will make to further Beam Suntory’s transformation in their new roles.”
 

About Beam Suntory

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark® bourbon brands and Courvoisier® cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Basil Hayden®, Knob Creek®, and Legent™ bourbon; Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™ Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore® Scotch whisky; Canadian Club® whisky; Hornitos® and Sauza® tequila; EFFEN®, Haku® and Pinnacle® vodka; Sipsmith® and Roku™ gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails. 

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good, which now includes its transformative sustainability strategy, Proof Positive. Headquartered in New York City, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit https://www.beamsuntory.com/ and https://www.drinksmart.com/.

©2022 Beam Suntory, Inc. New York.