VICTOR, N.Y. -- Beer, wine and spirits marketer Constellation Brands Inc. added Bill Newlands as chief growth officer, a newly created position to help manage Constellation's long-term growth strategies.
"We are in the midst of a dynamic growth period and we are fully committed to continuing that momentum well into the future, and Bill is the right person to help achieve that," said president and CEO Rob Sands. "With the addition of a chief growth officer to the leadership team, we are creating a new structure within the business that will build upon our current successes and focus on long-term, margin enhancing and profitable growth opportunities across our beer, wine and spirits businesses.
"Bill will be responsible for leading corporate strategy and business development, accelerating our new-product development and innovation efforts, leveraging strategic insights and identifying synergies in channel management to position us for continued high performance well into the future."
A veteran of the beverage alcohol industry, Newlands has 30 years of leadership experience with well-respected companies, including Beam Inc., Allied Domecq, Wine.com, LVMH and E. & J. Gallo Winery. In his most recent role, leading North America for Beam, he successfully transformed the organization into one of the leading growth companies in its category through a combination of product rejuvenation, acquisition, new product development and enhanced operational efficiency.
A serial innovator, one of Newlands' most recent and notable career achievements was spearheading the flavored whiskey category. He attributes this success to tapping into consumer megatrends and executing on smart and well-positioned line extensions.
"I'm honored and privileged to join the talented team at Constellation Brands and to work with such a strong portfolio of beer, wine, and spirits brands," said Newlands. "This is an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to working across all three categories to strengthen Constellation's total alcohol beverage leadership position."
Based in Victor, N.Y., Constellation Brands is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Italy. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic, imported brands including Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacifico. Constellation is also the world's leader in premium wine selling brands such as Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Kim Crawford, Rex Goliath, Mark West, Franciscan Estate, Ruffino and Jackson-Triggs. The company's premium spirits brands include SVEDKA Vodka and Black Velvet Canadian Whisky.
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