WhistlePig Whiskey CEO Jeff Kozak is stepping down from the US distiller to “pursue other opportunities”, the company has said.
Kozak has been with the Vermont distiller for more than ten years. He has worked as WhistlePig’s chief executive since 2017 after almost four years as CFO and COO.
Before joining WhistlePig, Kozak was at Diageo for two years. He was head of bulk sales of whiskey, rum, and Tequila for the then Beam Suntory in Canada for 12 years from 2000.
WhistlePig’s board member Marty Birkel will be interim CEO while the company looks to recruit Kozak’s successor externally.
Kozak will continue to advise the board and take on a role as a consultant to the company. He said: “It has been a privilege of a lifetime to help build WhistlePig from a small craft rye whiskey company into an internationally acclaimed whiskey brand that is known for and continues to push the boundaries of quality, innovation and independence.
“I am so proud of the incredibly talented team we have built and I’m excited for them to continue to disrupt and challenge the broader American whiskey and bourbon category globally.”
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By GlobalDataWilco Faessen, co-founder thanked Kozak for “his decade of service” and said: “The board of directors is grateful for Jeff’s contributions over the past ten years, which have helped establish WhistlePig as a distinctive leader in the super-premium American whiskey category and grow our company to over $100m in sales.”
Birkel has been on the WhistlePig board since 2019. He has been head of spirits, wine and beer at merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners International for almost six years.
Birkel joined the merchant bank in 2019 after a decade at Constellation Brands, where his roles included chief global sales officer for wine and spirits.
Faessen added: “We see great opportunities ahead of us, including in route to market with our recently established national partnership with Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits, as well as on the product and brand equity building and awareness side, and believe that we have all the ingredients in place for this next chapter of the company’s growth and success.”
In 2020, Moët Hennessy bought a stake in WhistlePig with a view to expanding the whiskey company’s international footprint.
The agreement, then described by WhistlePig as a “partnership”, saw Moët Hennessy acquire an unspecified minority holding in the company. Financial details were also not disclosed.
According to WhistlePig’s website, it distributes to all 50 US states.
