HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, announced today that Ed Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of Patrón Spirits International and The Patrón Spirits Company, will retire as of December 31, 2018. During his nearly 20-year tenure, Brown led the PATRÓN brand’s massive expansion growing from 118,000 cases sold in 2001 to become the world’s largest ultra-premium tequila with more than two million cases sold annually.
PATRÓN, which was acquired by Bacardi Limited in April 2018, is well recognized as an industry phenomenon, having singlehandedly created the ultra-premium tequila category and is today one of the world’s most recognized and admired luxury sprits brands.
“It is only fitting that we should describe the career of the man who created the enduring tagline, ‘Simply Perfect’ as nothing short of that,” said Barry Kabalkin, Vice Chairman of Bacardi Limited and a member of the board of directors of Patrón since 2008. “On behalf of Bacardi and our newest colleagues from Patrón, I would like to offer Ed our heartfelt thanks for building one of the best brands in the spirits world and beyond. We wish Ed all the best on his well-deserved retirement.”
According to Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited, the company is well into a successful integration of Patrón, which joins an iconic one-of-a-kind portfolio that includes BACARDÍ rum, GREY GOOSE vodka, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, DEWAR’S Blended Scotch whisky and MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wine. With Bacardi’s international distribution network, PATRÓN is expected to grow around the world, increasing scale in the U.S. and globally.
“Ed has been a generous partner as we’ve worked hard to integrate our companies without missing a beat,” said Madhavan. “We continue to be impressed with what he and his outstanding team have accomplished, and we are more excited than ever at the opportunity to build upon their success to grow PATRÓN, which so perfectly complements our portfolio of premium brands at Bacardi.”
Brown intends to remain engaged post-retirement, providing counsel and expert advice on the PATRÓN brand, the tequila category, and the spirits industry as a whole, and his continued involvement at the Patrón board level and otherwise will be invaluable for many years to come.
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded more than 156 years ago, in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, family-owned Bacardi currently employs more than 7,000, operates more than 20 production facilities, including bottling, distilling and manufacturing sites in 11 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow @BacardiLimited.
