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Don J. Blaustein, Chief Executive Officer of the US unit of Heineken NV has stepped down.  Blaustein’s departure comes nearly two years after he succeeded ANDY THOMAS as CEO of Heineken USA.

Mike Holden has been appointed Senior Vice President of Sales.  He will lead a team that is responsible for all US sales activities of Foster’s fine wine portfolio.  Holden brings 24 years of senior sales, marketing, business strategy and executive leadership to Foster’s.  Before joining Foster’s, he was President and... Read More

JOHN KRISTIN “KRIS” SIRCHIO has been appointed the new Chief Marketing Officer, effective November 16.  The New Jersey native joins Brown-Forman after working the last five years at Syngenta AG, a leading agribusinesses based in Basel, Switzerland, where his title was Global Head, Professional Products.  Sirchio succeeds MARK McCALLUM who... Read More

Theodore “Ted” Rubin, the Chief Executive of Ruby Wines, died of leukemia on Monday, September 7, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  He was 7O-years-old.  Ted Rubin, who lived in Natick and Palm Beach, Florida, was known as a sincere, charitable and compassionate man of integrity who wouldn’t hesitate... Read More

Jonathan Ashworth has been hired as Commercial Director for Stolichnaya Vodka.  The company took over distribution for the brand from Pernod Ricard in several markets, including the US, last year and Ashworth is a former member of Pernod Ricard’s Stolichnaya Brand Organization team.  Ashworth previously worked at Allied Domecq Duty... Read More

Michael J. Dolan and John S. Galantic have been elected as Directors to the Board.  They will take the places of JAY MCDOWELL and GUY PEYRELONGUE, who are retiring.  Dolan, who retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Viacom, Inc. in December 2OO6, currently serves on the... Read More

Jean-Francois Bonneté has been appointed Senior Vice President of Spirits, heading up Deutsch’s new spirits division.  The former President-CEO of Mystique Brands LLC and the prior Director of North America for Cognac Ferrand, Bonneté brings more than twelve years of experience in the US spirits industry.

JIMMY BEDFORD, former master distiller of  Jack Daniel’s whiskey, died Friday, August 7.  He was 69.  His body was found outside a barn at his farm in Lynchburg. The apparent cause was a heart attack. Bedford started at the distillery in 1968 and worked in the yeasting, fermenting, milling and... Read More

as its CFO with responsibility for the United States Canada and Mexico.  In this role he will participate as a member of the Executive Team for North America.  Wall joins the company from Diageo where he worked since 1995, most recently as Senior Vice President – US Spirits and National... Read More

has been elected Wine Institute Chairman for the 2OO9 to 2O1O fiscal year at Wine Institute’s 75th Commemorative Annual Meeting of Members.  Also elected were TOM KLEIN of Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg First Vice Chairman; DAVID KENT of the Wine Group headquartered in San Francisco, Second Vice Chairman; KATHLEEN... Read More