Bacardí Taps Di Giammarco for Top Marketing Role

Bacardí has announced the promotion of Fabio Di Giammarco, 42, to Global Vice President for Bacardí rum. In this role, Di Giammarco is responsible for the BACARDÍ rum brand marketing efforts globally, including enhancing brand equity, positioning, advertising, packaging and pricing.

Di Giammarco

He reports to Mauricio Vergara, CMO North America and global lead for Di Giammarco rum and Grey Goose vodka. He will be based in the Bacardi global headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda, pending Bermuda Department of Immigration approval.

Di Giammarco most recently served as Vice President, Marketing & Commercial, for Bacardí Latin America & Caribbean (LAC), leading the marketing and commercial teams and overseeing commercial execution and alliances across the region.

He joined Bacardí in 2012 as Managing Director of Brazil and has since held a number of roles throughout the LAC region. With him as the commercial leader in Brazil, the flavored rum portfolio reached historic record sales, the company said, with and Bacardí Big Apple became the fastest-growing spirit in Brazil’s history. In 2013, Bacardí achieved the top rum market share position in Brazil ― a position the brand continues to hold.

Di Giammarco also increased Bacardí rum distribution with strong gains in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile, the company said. Under his watch, Bacardi in Brazil ranked among the top “Great Places to Work” and was recognized for its diversity practices.

He brings 21 years of commercial experience working in markets within Latin America and Europe. Prior to joining Bacardi, Di Giammarco’s responsibilities included marketing strategy for the SAB Miller beer and soft drinks business in Latin America, as well as a variety of leadership positions at international consumer products companies including VP, Global Head of Marketing Communications with Royal Philips Electronics in Amsterdam; Chief Marketing Officer Latin America at Philips; Sales Development Director with Danone in Italy; and Commercial Manager with Empresas Polar in Venezuela.

Di Giammarco holds a Master in Business Administration from Bentley College Graduate School of Business in Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Public Relations from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Venezuela. An Italian citizen, he is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

Campari America Appoints Fiorenzo as Managing Director

Campari America has appointed Ugo Fiorenzo as its new Managing Director for the United States.

Overseeing day-to-day operations for the second-largest sales region for Gruppo Campari, Fiorenzo will report directly to Jean-Jacques Dubau, Managing Director of North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Caribbean, Central America).

Fiorenzo has two decades experience in the alcohol beverage industry, including nearly ten years with Gruppo Campari. He has held multiple leadership positions within the company, most recently serving as senior market director of Gruppo Campari subsidiary J. Wray & Nephew in Jamaica. He also has led sales and marketing efforts for Campari Italia.

Prior to joining Gruppo Campari, Fiorenzo held marketing and sales positions at several other global alcohol beverage companies.

Filling a previously vacant post, Fiorenzo will be based at the Campari America headquarters in San Francisco.

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) has announced the promotion of Christina “Tina” Demers (pictured atop), an 18-year employee, to Chief Financial Officer.

Demers, the first female CFO in NHLC history, brings to the position a track record of excellence in budgeting, developing strong financial policies and supporting fiscal operations for NHLC’s 78 NH Liquor & Wine Outlets, the commission says.

Demers, who lives in Hooksett, joined NHLC in 1997 as an administrative assistant before being promoted in 1999 to the role of statistician, which she held for more than 10 years. In 2010, she was promoted again to business administrator, a position that included planning and developing financial policies, procedures and controls for all budgetary, fiscal and financial NHLC operations.

While working full-time at NHLC, Demers earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), graduating magna cum laude in 2008. She will soon complete her master’s degree in Business Administration from SNHU.

Among Demers’ responsibilities will be managing one of the largest budgets in state government, overseeing a staff of 12, projecting annual revenue, budgeting, sales analysis, and continuing to create NHLC’s annual report. Demers also plans to work closely with senior leadership to develop new initiatives, programs and strategies to ensure the NHLC’s future financial success and support her team of employees.

Michigan Beer & Wine Distributors Elect Sullivan as New Chair

Members of the Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association have elected Kevin Sullivan, vice president at Alliance Beverage Distributing in Grand Rapids, as chairman of the organization at its annual summer meeting.

Sullivan will serve as chair until 2017. The election for new board leaders was held Wednesday, July 29.

Sullivan was the board vice chairman before his election. He has served on the board for six years.

Alliance Beverage Distributing is the largest complete beverage distributor in the western half of Michigan. Formed in early 2013, Alliance’s network stretches from the Michigan-Indiana state line to Manistee County and eastward through Mt. Pleasant and Lansing. Distributing MillerCoors, craft beers and a wide range of additional products, Alliance employs more than 300 people.

The new vice chair of the board is Joe Fabiano, president of Fabiano Brothers Inc., a beer, wine and beverage distributor that serves a 22-county region stretching from the Bay area and central Michigan to northern and northwest Michigan.

The new treasurer is Brien Fox, president and CEO of Grand Rapids-based Henry A. Fox Sales Co.

The MB&WWA represents more than 50 beer and wine distributorships throughout Michigan.

Veronica Vega Named Brewmaster at Deschutes

Deschutes Brewery has promoted Veronica Vega to brewmaster. She will work as the brewery’s research and development lead, alongside brewmaster Brian Faivre, who heads the technical brewing side.

Vega started out at Deschutes as a tour guide in 2006, moving into the cellar before transitioning into a production brewer role. She’s been the lead brewer at the brewery’s original pub location in downtown Bend, Oregon, for the last three and a half years.

Vega, who received her degree in biology from Humboldt State University, first worked as a biology field technician for the National Park Service. Even though she loved her job, she loved Bend more and decided that was where she’d like to settle, the company says. When she got the call from Deschutes Brewery, she was happy to start out in the tour department.

Vega said, “We have an extremely talented brewing department, and I look forward to working collaboratively with both our R&D and production teams to innovate on the process and experimental aspects of our brewing efforts.”