US-based WhistlePig Whiskey has recruited Charles Gibb from mixer business Fever-Tree to become its chief executive.
The appointment of Gibb (below) ends a five-month search for a permanent CEO, following the news of Jeff Kozak’s decision to leave the business earlier this year. According to WhistlePig, Gibb “joins the team at an inflection point” and the “appointment marks the next stage of evolution”, as he replaces interim boss Marty Birkel.
The newly appointed head previously launched and headed Fever-Tree’s North American operations for eight years. Before that, he was CEO of Moët Hennessy’s Belvedere vodka brand for almost nine years.
“As a Scot, I could not be more excited to be joining this exceptional American whiskey brand,” said Gibb. “I’ve been involved with start-ups, initiated new markets and transformed developed markets by breaking apart paradigms to accelerate growth. That’s exactly what WhistlePig does with whiskey. We have the perfect mix to shake up the market.”
In March last year, WhistlePig secured a 40-state distribution deal in the US with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
