The global premium spirits company has also promoted the global marketing vice president for Maker’s Mark to lead marketing for the company’s entire brand portfolio throughout EMEA.
Beam has announced that dedicated commercial teams will focus on driving results in three regional clusters:
- Spain and the UK; Central, Eastern & Northern Europe (Germany, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Austria, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, the Nordics and the Baltics);
- Western Europe, Middle East & Africa (France, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Serbia Montenegro
- and all of Middle East and Africa).
Torsten Helbig will lead the Central Eastern & Northern Europe region as regional vice president. Helbig is described as an 18-year spirits industry veteran, with an additional 10 years’ experience with fast-moving consumer goods companies.
Through Helbig’s leadership, the company says it has accelerated growth for the Jim Beam brand in Germany – now the number one whiskey in the world’s third largest bourbon market – and in the past year, Russia has become as one of Beam’s fastest growing emerging markets.
The company has made Kelly Doss vice president of EMEA marketing. Doss joined Beam in 2002 and most recently served as the vice president of global marketing for Maker’s Mark, called the fast-growing super-premium bourbon brand in the world. She will relocate from the US to Madrid.
The announcement includes the following additional personnel appointments:
- Central, Eastern & Northern Europe, led by regional vice president Torsten Helbig;
- Manfred Jus, promoted to managing director, Germany;
- Max Hayes, appointed area director, Central Europe;
- Elaine Kibblewhite, promoted to area manager, Northern Europe;
- Bill Mateo continues as managing director, Maxxium Russia;
- Western Europe, Middle East & Africa, led by managing director Alvaro Lapetra;
- Jonathan Marsh, appointed area director, Western Europe;
- Mark Pockele joins Beam from Maxxium as area manager, Middle East & Africa;
- Spain & UK, both Maxxium joint venture markets, led by managing directors Maxxium Spain Javier Jimenez and Maxxium UK Huw Pennell.
EMEA is one of Beam’s three global regions that also include North America and Asia Pacific/Latin America. EMEA aims to outperform its markets with the company’s ‘Power Brands’ – Jim Beam, Teacher’s, Courvoisier, Canadian Club, Sauza and Maker’s Mark – as well as so-called ‘Rising Star’ brands that include Sourz and Laphroaig, and ‘Local Jewel’ brands such as Whisky DYC and Larios.
Beam says it is driving growth in EMEA by building its brands and introducing innovative new products in its markets, including Red Stag by Jim Beam and Sourz Raspberry.
The company says it amplifies its distribution scale in certain markets through the Maxxium alliance with The Edrington Group.
