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August Busch IV is stepping down as a director at Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, ending the Busch family’s formal involvement in the brewing company that bears its name.  He was the chief executive of Anheuser-Busch Cos. when the Budweiser maker was acquired by InBev in 2OO8.  Busch, who had sought to... Read More

The drinks company has appointed Steve Chasen as Director/On-Premise Trade Marketing and BJ Vorderer as Director/Off-Premise Trade Marketing.  Chasen joins the company from Southern Wines & Spirits, New York, where he helped lead the PRUSA-dedicated team within SWS Metro NY.  Prior to that, he served as Director/Sales & Marketing for... Read More

George Garvin Brown IV is being promoted to Executive Vice President of the Louisville-based spirits company.  Brown’s new role is to lead planning on strategic and operational matters related to the board and the Brown family, which controls a majority of the company’s voting shares.  In addition to his new... Read More

Ed Merklen has been named General Manager-East Division Sales.  Prior to joining Pernod Ricard, Merklen worked for the past twelve years at the Coca-Cola Company where he held a series of executive sales roles in the bottling, divisional and national chain groups.  In his most recent position as VP of... Read More

Oliver Loomes has been appointed as Global Brand Director for Guinness.  Prior to this, Loomes was the Marketing and Innovation Director for Diageo Ireland.  Oliver has been with Diageo for 12 years and was previously Head of Marketing on Spirits and Lagers in Ireland.

The matriarch of Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, died in February due to complications of leukemia.  Patty Bogle and her late-husband Chris built Bogle Vineyards from 18 acres of grapes to a regional wine powerhouse.  Wine Business Monthly recently ranked Bogle as the country’s 14th largest winery.  The Bogles first... Read More

Donard Gaynor has been appointed as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development.  Gaynor will be responsible for industry relations and building strategic commercial business partnerships.  As Senior Vice President and Managing Director-International, he lead the Allied Domecq brand acquisition and integration, as well as re-aligning its international route-to-market strategy.  Gaynor spent... Read More

The importer and marketer of wines and spirits has appointed beverage industry veteran Mike McGill as President, W.J.Deutsch Spirits Division.  McGill, who joins the company from Diageo where he was Senior Vice President/General Manager, Southwest, will be responsible for the sales and marketing of Deutsch’s Spirits Division, including full P&L... Read More

Todd Richman has been named Corporate Mixologist, a newly created position.  Richman will lead the bartender loyalty programs and develop drink strategies for the Sidney Frank portfolio.  He has over seven years experience working in the food and spirits industry and most recently comes from Frederick Wildman and Sons.  An... Read More

In April, Bill Samuels, Jr., will retire as President and transition into the role of Chairman Emeritus.  His son, Rob Samuels, who was appointed COO in October, will lead the organization going forward.  Bill Samuels, Jr., has been at the helm of Maker’s Mark for 35 years.  He is the... Read More