Former Mast-Jägermeister U.S. CEO Joins Ghost Tequila
Ghost Tequila has appointed former Mast-Jägermeister U.S. chief executive Jeff Popkin as the company’s new CEO.
Popkin’s resume includes stints as president of The Vita Coca Company, where he led the company’s North American expansion years, CEO of Red Bull Distribution Company, and senior management roles at Molson Coors. He is also a non-executive director with premium mixer brand, Fever-Tree.
During his tenure at Mast-Jägermeister, Popkin helped create the company’s joint venture with Teremana Tequila, which included exclusive distribution rights and a strategic investment.
“Few tequilas in this highly competitive category have been able to stand out and capture consumer and trade attention quite like Ghost has done,” Popkin said in a statement.
The company’s priority is to strengthen their marketing efforts, and continue building out the team nationally, especially focused on the on-premise, he added in an email to BevNet.
Ghost Tequila is one of a few new entrants to the flavored tequila segment that position themselves as more premium than incumbent brands. The spicy tequila has experienced over 100% growth each year since its launch six years ago, and is now available nationally and in international markets.
The company also just completed a significant funding round from The Raptor Group, a Boston-based private investment firm.
“Our continued investment in Ghost is a testament to our unwavering belief that this innovative brand has what it takes to become the world’s leading spicy tequila,” said Jim Pallotta, managing partner and founder of The Raptor Group.
The investment amount was not disclosed. The company added that it has a very large cap table of over 100 investors.
Celebrity Brand Innovation House, WES Brands Builds Up Leadership Roster
WES Brands, a supplier focused on developing celebrity-owned brands, has hired Shawn Thurman as CEO, as well as a slew of other industry veterans for executive positions.
The employee-owned company formed in 2021, after several of the founding members were part of the $610 million sale of Aviation American Gin to Diageo. The company is focused on the growth of its existing portfolio— Mark Wahlberg-backed Flecha Azul Tequila and Jamie Foxx’s BSB Flavored Whiskey— and soon-to-launch brands.
Thurman joins the company from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, where he was executive vice president of national accounts. The new CEO aims to leverage the national distribution network to propel the portfolio’s growth.
Sean Penn, a founding WES Brands team member has also been appointed president and chief operating officer. Before joining WES Brands, Penn spent nearly three decades building spirits brands with Diageo North America and Milestone Brands.
“We really knew that we could do something special in this space by assembling talent in our organization that really had an entrepreneurial mindset and that had experience either in or outside of the beverage alcohol segment,” said Penn.
WES Brands’ new executive leadership hires include Kyle Stein as president (formerly director of commercial insights and strategies at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits), Lauren Ryan-Kiyak as senior vice President of marketing (formerly head of marketing at Charles Jacquin et Cie, and held senior roles with STOLI Group, Pernod Ricard, and Remy Cointreau) and Chris Jebbia as senior vice president of finance (formerly senior manager of commercial finance at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits).
Spirits Veteran Joins Infuse Spirits
Infuse Spirits Group, a portfolio of spirits brands, has brought on Simon Burch as its new CEO. Burch most recently served as CEO of Green River Distilling in Charleston, South Carolina, where he led expansion for the organization, culminating in a sale to Bardstown Bourbon Company last year.
In his new role Burch will oversee operations for the parent company of Broken Barrel Whiskey Company and flavored vodka line, Infuse Spirits.
He has also held multiple leadership positions at Pernod Ricard, Diageo, and Moët Hennessy. While at Diageo, Burch led the U.S. tequila, rum, and vodka brand portfolios before transitioning to Global Head of Smirnoff Vodka. Subsequently, he joined Moet Hennessy as CMO of Belvedere Vodka.
As part of the agreement, Burch will become a major shareholder in the company and join the current executive board of directors, alongside former founder and CEO Seth Benhaim, who will assume the new title of founder and chief creative officer.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Simon join our team,” said Benhaim in a statement. “He is a proven leader with a successful track record of building and selling iconic spirits brands. With an incredibly unique proposition and a fierce passion for these brands, this was the perfect time and a necessary transition to take us to the next level.”
New President Spearheads Growth for Don Londrés Tequila
Don Londrés, a tequila launched by music entrepreneur Dre London, onboarded a new president of global spirits this month, Keenan Towns.
Towns previously co-founded Trusted Spirits and created Indigo Gin with Snoop Dogg. Prior to that he spent nine years at Diageo North America and was responsible for managing Zacapa Rum, Deleon Tequila, Tanqueray Gin and Cîroc Vodka in the U.S. market.
Best known for launching singer Post Malone, London is the founder of management firm London Entertainment Group, and the independent record label London Music Group. In addition to repping artists London’s digital platform AUX Live offers streaming concerts, documentaries and live events. In January he launched Don Londrés, and distribution is expected to reach 37 states in the U.S., and land in Europe and Australia this year.
Spirit Hound Hires Former E&J Gallo Sales Director
Spirit Hound Distillery & Tasting Room has hired Abby Robertson as chief commercialization officer. Previously Robertson was the national sales director of E&J Gallo, the brand behind Barefoot Wines.
As the brand focuses on national expansion in 2023, Robertson’s first endeavor was to launch the company’s e-commerce platform. Spirit Hound’s whisky, gin and vodka are now available for purchase online in over 40 states. The products were previously only available at liquor stores throughout Colorado.
Next Century Spirits Adds New Chief Financial Officer
Next Century Spirits has hired Tom Spisak as chief financial officer, who joins the company after three years at Reed’s Inc in the same position. Spisak will be responsible for managing the company’s cost management efforts, delivering its fiscal year financial plan, building its financial team and aiding in Next Century Spirits overall growth and profitability.
Prior to his time at Reed’s Inc., Spisak spent 26 years at Diageo and held multiple financial positions in the company’s North American division.
The spirits portfolio company includes several celebrity-affiliated brands including Creek Water Whiskey, a 100-proof whiskey co-founded by rapper and musician Yelawolf, and Caddy Cocktails, “a golf occasion-based RTD” with golfer Greg Norman. Last year the company acquired XED Beverages, the maker of cocktail-inspired hard seltzer brand Sesh, and partnered with lower-proof vodka Body to expand its distribution.