Top White & Mackay man goes in rejig

Whyte & Mackay’s former marketing director Vic Skelton has left the company after US parent American Brands announced a restructure of its international divisions.

Whyte & Mackay’s former marketing director Vic Skelton has left the company after US parent American Brands announced a restructure of its international divisions.

American Brands has split its sales and marketing arms into three worldwide regions, Greater European Territory, the Pacific Rim and Asia Pacific.

Whyte & Mackay takes control of marketing all American Brands’ spirits products across Europe in its new international division. Jim Beam Brands will oversee marketing of all brands in the US and the Pacific Rim, while Fortune Brands of Australia will handle the Asian market.

The new Whyte & Mackay European division will be headed by Philip Craig from Jim Beam Brands in the US.

As a result, Whyte & Mackay’s two regional directors, Skelton for Europe and Stewart McBride for Asia Pacific, are leaving.

Skelton became European chief in 1994 after being the company’s UK marketing director (MW December 9 1994). Whyte & Mackay went on to appoint former Allied Domecq whisky director Dominic Brand to the position earlier this year.

Under the new structure, Whyte & Mackay gains UK distribution of brands Jim Beam and Old Grand-Dad bourbons, Ron Rico, Pusser’s rums and Kamora liqueur.

They were previously marketed in Britain from the US by Jim Beam Brands.