Brown-Forman axes Euro wine marketing team

Brown-Forman, the US manufacturer of Jack Daniel’s whisky, is understood to have scrapped its entire European wine marketing team as part of a major restructure. Its wine portfolio includes Fetzer and Bonterra brands.

As part of the move, managing director for Europe at Brown-Forman wines, David Cox will be leaving the company. He set up the wine division for Brown-Forman in 1995. Marketing director Simon Legge and the rest of the European marketing team will also leave the company.

Brown-Forman is said to be moving the marketing of its wine brands into the company’s head office in Louisville, Kentucky, and merging the running of wine and spirits operations within continental Europe. The restructure follows the merger of the wine and spirits businesses in the US two years ago.

Last month the company beat analysts’ expectations when it reported an increase of 48% in its fourth-quarter profit on the strength of higher demand for its flagship Jack Daniel whisky and Finlandia vodka.