Mark Brown plans to leave his role as Sazerac CEO next month, according to recent reporting by Louisville Business First. The spirits leader, known for his long tenure at the company and daily industry newsletter, will transition to a new position as executive chairman.
The action is “part of a long-signaled and eight-year succession plan,” as the spirits company told Louisville Business First. The transition will go into effect on July 1. It’s currently unclear if Brown will continue publishing the Mark Brown Industry News Update newsletter.
The transition will see the current chief commercial officer (CCO) Jake Wenz succeed Brown as president and CEO of Sazerac, per Shanken News Daily. Wenz was first onboarded in 2015 as COO. Prior to his time at Sazerac, Wenz worked as the Pacific Northwest region vice president of PepsiCo Frito-Lay.
Brown has led teams at Sazerac since his start in 1981 as the brand’s director of new products. Sazerac is currently the second-largest spirit company in the U.S. market based on sales by volume, according to Shanken News Daily.
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