Brown–Forman announces Chief Information Officer and Jack Daniel Distillery leadership appointments
Brown‑Forman Corporation has appointed Larry Combs to the newly created role of Chief Information Officer and Director of Supply Chain Integration and Strategy; and Melvin Keebler to the role of General Manager, Jack Daniel Distillery Supply Chain, effective immediately.
Brown-Forman notes that global supply chains have been under for pressure for the last few years, driven in part by a lack of modern technologies to address the stressors. The new Chief Information Officer role, therefore, will help the company work through these challenges.
Larry Combs will be responsible for the strategic direction of Brown‑Forman’s application technologies, enterprise architecture, data and analytics strategy and framework, and portfolio management, as well as the continued development and execution of logistics, procurement, planning, and production strategies.
Most recently, Combs served as the Senior Vice President, Global Director, Jack Daniel’s Supply Chain/Procurement/Planning/Logistics. Over his 30-year career at Brown‑Forman, he has worked in a variety of roles including Global Quality Director, Vice President Production Services, and Senior Vice President Technical Services. Combs has been responsible for functions including engineering, R&D, environmental compliance, package engineering, and quality assurance.
Meanwhile, Melvin Keebler will become General Manager of the Jack Daniel Distillery Supply Chain. In addition to leading the Jack Daniel Distillery operations in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Keebler will be responsible for Brown‑Forman Cooperage operations. This includes overseeing the production of new barrels and the process and distribution of used barrels.
Keebler has been with Brown‑Forman for more than 20 years, progressing through numerous leadership roles at the Jack Daniel Distillery including quality, warehousing, engineering, maintenance, production, and used barrels operations. He previously served as the General Manager, Jack Daniel Distillery, where he led all site and homeplace operations.
