Beam Suntory: Heather Boyd heads up US RTD alcohol

Beam Suntory has appointed Heather Boyd to lead its efforts in the rapidly growing RTD-spirits market in the US.

Boyd, who becomes Managing Director, US RTD as of January 4, will drive the company’s goal to become an industry leader in the sector. Beam Suntory already holds RTD-spirits category leadership positions in Japan, Australia and Germany: seeing the increased popularity of cocktailing at home, with consumers looking for products that bridge the gap between premiumization and convenience. 

In September, Beam Suntory acquired On The Rocks Premium Cocktails, a rapidly growing premium RTD cocktail brand, and announced plans to expand market availability and the product range.

Boyd’s latest position was as Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Acreage Holdings, a US company with a portfolio of cannabis operations. Here, she led a cross-functional product team across category management, sales, business intelligence, product and packaging development and R&D, and established the company’s wholesale business. Prior to Acreage Holdings, Boyd served in marketing and commercial roles at Diageo.