US spirits giant Sazerac Co has lined up a change of operational lead, Global Drinks Intel has learned.
Mitch Federman, the Buffalo Trace owner’s VP of supply chain & customer service, is in the process of assuming the position of COO. Federman (below) is taking over from Jeff Wadsworth, who Global Drinks Intel understands is retiring.
Nobody was immediately available at the Kentucky-based group to confirm the change.
Wadsworth has been COO at Sazerac since early 2022 when he moved across after 32 years with PepsiCo. His last role with the soft drinks & snacks company was as senior VP of global operations transformation, based out of New York.
As for Federman, he started with Sazerac in mid-2016, having previously worked for General Mills for just over 11 years. Following three years as plant GM, the executive moved up to his current role in mid 2019.
He will work alongside CEO Jake Wenz, who was promoted from CCO two years ago when longstanding head Mark Brown stepped across to become company chair.
In December, Sazerac agreed to acquire the Svedka vodka brand from Constellation Brands, echoing a similar move eight years earlier for Paddy Irish whiskey from Pernod Ricard.
