CEO and President of Buffalo Trace Owner Sazerac to Step Down

Sazerac CEO and President Mark Brown will step down from the company effective July 1. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)

Mark Brown will step down as CEO and president of Sazerac and will be replaced by Sazerac’s chief commercial officer, Jake Wentz, Louisville Business First reported.

Brown’s resignation will go into effect July 1.

According to Sazerac, this transition was “part of a long-signalled and eight-year succession plan.”

Based in New Orleans, Sazerac owns numerous major drinks brands, including Buffalo Trace, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Southern Comfort.

Brown has been with Sazerac since 1981, when he joined as director of new products. In 1992, he departed the company to join Brown-Forman as senior vice-president and chief operating officer of the Select Brands Group. In 1997, however, he returned to Sazerac as president and CEO.

Brown’s full employment timeline, per Sazerac:

1971 – Pub business in the U.K.
1976 – Salesperson; H.P. Bulmer
1979 – Sales Trainer; H.P. Bulmer
1980 – Field Sales Manager; H.P. Bulmer (USA)
1981 – Director, New Products, New Markets; Sazerac Company Inc.
1983 – National Sales Manager; Sazerac Company Inc.
1986 – VP Sales & Marketing; Sazerac Company Inc.
1992 – SVP & COO Select Brands; Brown-Forman
1994 – President, Advancing Markets Groups; Brown-Forman
1997 – President and CEO, Sazerac Company Inc.

In April, Buffalo Trace announced two new whiskeys: Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak Bourbon and Buffalo Trace Experimental Peated Bourbon.

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter