WES Brands appoints new CEO
WES Brands – the company launched after the $610m sale to Diageo of Aviation American Gin – has appointed Shawn Thurman as chief executive officer, alongside a slate of other executive hires.
The formation of the WES Brands’ leadership team comes at a ‘pivotal moment’ as the company focuses on the growth of its existing brands (Mark Wahlberg-back Flecha Azul Tequila and Jamie Foxx’s BSB Flavored Whiskey) and soon-to-launch spirits brands.
Shawn Thurman joins WES Brands from Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, where he held the position of Executive Vice President, National Accounts.
Additionally, Sean Penn, a founding WES Brands team member who oversaw the company through its inception, has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. Before joining WES Brands, Penn spent nearly three decades building iconic spirits brands with Diageo North America (Senior Vice President, General Manager – Spirits and VP National Sales Manager – Wines), and Milestone Brands (Vice President – US Sales and Commercial Development).
WES Brands’ new executive leadership hires include Kyle Stein as President (formerly Director of Commercial Insights & Strategies at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits), Lauren Ryan-Kiyak as Senior Vice President of Marketing (formerly Head of Marketing at Charles Jacquin et Cie, and held senior roles with STOLI Group, Pernod Ricard, and Remy Cointreau) and Chris Jebbia as Senior Vice President of Finance (formerly Senior Manager of Commercial Finance at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits).