Bacardi recently appointed spirits veteran Jeff Branson to the role of Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Commercial for North America.
With more than 20 years of beverage industry experience, Jeff takes on the promotion following a successful run leading the company’s business in Canada where he served as Vice President and General Manager, the company states. Jeff reports to Tony Latham, Regional President of Bacardi North America, and is based in Coral Gables, Florida.
In this role, Jeff takes on responsibility for delivering on the commercial plans for North America as well as maintaining strong relationships with distributor partners and key customers to expand the company’s presence and growth in the market, according to the company.
“Jeff has the leadership skills and the industry relationships that are so critical to inspiring teams and building lasting partnerships in North America – a must win market in the spirits world,” said Tony Latham, Regional President Bacardi North America, in a news release. “His track record at Bacardi, and within the industry, has established him as a trusted leader with a winning mindset. I am looking forward to seeing his impact on our business and our team culture.”
Branson Offers Years of Experience
Jeff first joined Bacardi in 2000. During his time with the family-owned business, he held commercial and trade marketing roles in Canada and the United States, as well as at regional and national levels, the company states.
In 2019, he moved to Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) for two years as SVP of Sales for the division dedicated to Bacardi portfolio in North America. The transition to SGWS and return to Bacardi are part of a program between the two partner companies to accelerate talent development growth and create new leadership opportunities, according to the company.
“I am honored to lead the sales teams across Bacardi North America and to focus on delivering with execution,” said Jeff in the release. “We are determined to lead the way in key channels by building the right partnerships and capabilities to support our wining portfolio of iconic brands.”
