Beam Suntory’s North American division appoints new president

Beam Suntory has appointed Greg Hughes as the new president of its North American division, effective from 1 January 2019.

Hughes will assume responsibility for the division from the company’s current COO Alberto Baladi, who was named as the company’s new CEO last month, effective from April 2019.

Hughes most recently served as Beam Suntory’s general manager for North America, and has held this position since 2017. He has been at Beam Suntory since 2015, when he was appointed as the company’s general manager for its US operations.

Beam Suntory claims that, under his leadership, the company’s business in Canada has gained market share since mid-2017, and its Mexico unit established a company-owned sales organisation earlier this year.

Hughes has over 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, and has held several senior positions at companies such as Procter & Gamble, Bel Brands USA and Kraft Foods, where he served as the vice-president of marketing for Kraft’s condiments and dressings division.

Matt Shattock, chairman & CEO of Beam Suntory said: “Greg is ideally suited to lead our North America region.

“Since joining Beam Suntory, Greg has stepped up to every leadership challenge he has taken on, and he’s demonstrated a strong track record of performance.

“Greg brings strength in marketing, commercial and people leadership, and he has been a key leader in helping deliver sustained outperformance in the U.S., our largest global market.”