Brown Forman hires director

Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel’s and Southern Comfort, has made Sophia Angelis marketing director of its UK spirits division.

Angelis, who is currently marketing manager at L’Oréal’s Prestige and Collections division, with responsibility for the Cacharel, Lanvin and Paloma Picasso brands, will join the company in December.

She will head a team of two brand managers and will have overall responsibility for the marketing of all Brown Forman brands dist ributed in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. The company recently took over the European marketing for Glenmorangie whisky and Finlandia vodka.

Angelis will also have day-to-day responsibility for the Southern Comfort brand, which is distributed in the UK by UDV, and will oversee the marketing of Jack Daniel’s.

Angelis joined L’Oréal’s Greek office in 1992 as a production manager, before moving to the UK 18 months ago. The cosmetics company has not yet made a decision about her replacement.

Brown Forman UK vice-president Andrew Wilby says Angelis “will bring her experience to another premium branded industry”.

Angelis’ appointment follows the departure three months ago of Andrew Mallinson, who had worked for the company for seven years. It is not known whether he had a job to go to.

A Christmas poster campaign for Southern Comfort, created by D’Arcy, will launch at the end of this month.