The chief supply-chain officer at Suntory Global Spirits has been appointed to the same role at Constellation Brands’ beer division.
Alex Alvarez (below), who joined the Jim Beam brand owner from rival Brown-Forman at the start of 2023, is set to start at his new employer on 14 September. Replacing John Kester, who will retire in November, Alvarez will report in to the president of Constellation’s beer division, Jim Sabia.
Separate to Constellation’s statement, Suntory Global Spirits said today (25 August) that Manuel Cabañas will assume the chief supply-chain officer role, moving up from his current position as VP of global manufacturing. Cabañas (below) has been with the group since the start of 2005, starting as a distillery director in his native Spain.
“At Suntory Global Spirits,” Constellation said, “[Alvarez] oversaw the entire global supply chain organisation, including 18 distilleries across the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe and India. He’s known for his commitment to quality and sustainability, modernising manufacturing and planning operations to improve productivity and efficiency while developing high-performing teams.”
SGS CEO Greg Hughes added: “Manuel is an exceptional leader whose experience, values and deep understanding of our business make him uniquely qualified to lead our global supply chain organisation. Over the course of his career, he has earned tremendous respect across our company by consistently delivering results, developing teams and strengthening capabilities.”
In their respective results announcements in recent weeks, Constellation booked a sales lift of 3% from the three months to the end of May (the first quarter of its fiscal 2027), while SGS parent Suntory Holdings saw its calendar H1 alcohol sales come in essentially flat, at +0.2%.
