Anheuser-Busch announces new US commercial structure

New leadership will further accelerate innovation, growth

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch announced enhancements to its U.S. commercial leadership team to further support the company's consumer-first commercial strategy. The new commercial leadership team brings more than 60 years of combined experience building brands and driving growth in the U.S. and other markets worldwide.

“Over the last four years, we have developed and implemented a clear and consistent consumer-first strategy that has resulted in strong momentum for our U.S. business,” said Brendan Whitworth, CEO at Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “The new commercial structure we are announcing today, along with key leadership changes, will make us better partners to our wholesalers and retailers, ultimately accelerating our momentum in the U.S.”

Kyle Norrington, currently President of Labatt in Canada, will assume a new role as U.S. chief commercial officer, overseeing sales and marketing in the United States. During his time leading our business in Canada, Norrington developed and implemented the Canada 10YP, resulting in the gain of a full share point in 2020 driven by the outperformance of above core brands, led by Michelob ULTRA.

“I'm truly honored to lead this new commercial structure and a team that is recognized as one of the best in the business,” Norrington said. “I'm also excited to bring our amazing portfolio to consumers and accelerate the growth momentum we have created in the U.S.”

Simon Wuestenberg, currently president of Anheuser-Busch's wholly owned distributor business unit AB ONE, is appointed U.S. chief sales officer. Most recently, Wuestenberg was the Midwest region vice president of sales where, under his leadership, market share grew for three straight years following eight years of decline and 90% of our wholesaler partners grew topline.

“At Anheuser-Busch we are focused on being better partners with our wholesalers and retailers, so that, together, we can continue to provide consumers with the high-quality products they love,” Wuestenberg said. “I am honored to lead our best-in-class sales organization as we embark on the next phase of our journey, growing together with our partners.”

Marcel Marcondes, currently U.S. chief marketing officer, is transitioning to a new role within AB InBev that will be announced at a later date. Marcondes has been integral to the creation and execution of Anheuser-Busch's consumer-first strategy, revolutionizing the way that Anheuser-Busch approaches marketing.

“Over the last four years, our marketing organization has transformed our approach, putting consumers at the center of everything we do, and it's been an honor to lead this incredible team,” Marcondes said. “Together we reconnected our brands with trends and culture, reinvented our innovation machine and built digital capabilities to match the new consumer behavior. Anheuser-Busch today is widely recognized as a leading marketing organization again and is ready for a new cycle. I know we will only continue to get better.”

Benoit Garbe, currently U.S. chief strategy officer, has been named U.S. chief marketing officer. Since joining Anheuser-Busch, Garbe has been instrumental in fostering a higher degree of commercial alignment and integration to support the company's strategy and accelerate growth.

“I am thrilled to lead the Marketing organization as we continue to accelerate our growth by creating more relevant innovations and more purposeful, human-centric brands,” Garbe said.

This new commercial structure will further strengthen Anheuser-Busch's U.S. commercial team optimizing its operations and accelerate the company's journey to lead future growth.

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