William Grant & Sons has named James Casey as the next MD and Vérane de Marffy as CMO of its US operations.
Casey (below, left) joins William Grant from Constellation Brands, where he was chief sales officer of the company’s wine and spirits division. Prior to joining Constellation in 2018, he held roles at Diageo, Gallo and Treasury Wine Estates while Marffy (right), a seasoned L’Oréal executive, most recently served as global deputy GM at Ralph Lauren Fragrances.
The change of MD comes after Paul Basford’s departure from William Grant’s US team in November. Basford spent nearly four years as the company’s divisional lead before heading off to take on the role of chief commercial officer at Pernod Ricard USA.
Global Drinks Intel has contacted William Grant to clarify who previously held the CMO position in the US.
Last year, the UK-headquartered wine & spirits group reached an agreement with Edrington to acquire the full portfolio of blended scotch brand The Famous Grouse.




