Pernod Ricard has announced the establishment of a new global brand company in the US, North American Distillers (NADL). The formation of the new company comes as Pernod Ricard seeks to reinforce its commitment to its American whiskey portfolio. The drinks company recently refocused on spirits after planning the sale of its international wine portfolio. 

 

The new specialised business will be led by seasoned Pernod Ricard executive Richard Black (pictured), who has 23 years of leadership experience in whiskey and Cognac, including most recently as global marketing director for Martell. As CEO of NADL, Black will oversee the company's entire American whiskey portfolio as well as all operations sites in the North American continent.

 

It is said that NADL will prioritise "operational excellence", as well creating an organisation that emphasises safety, quality, and sustainability. The move aligns the company's American whiskey operations with its approach to Irish and Scotch whiskey entities, Irish Distillers, and Chivas Brothers respectively.

 

Commenting on his new role, Black said: "American whiskey is a dynamic spirits category, and our portfolio shows immense potential for future growth. Our investments made in Jefferson's, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler, Skrewball and TX, underscore our ambitious commitment. My mission is to harness this potential and drive a singular focus on these brands and our operations, driving us towards our goals and creating a top-tier marketing and sustainable operations team on the back of our people's deep-rooted expertise." 

 

Supporting Black in the role includes Pierre Joncourt, current SVP of operations for Pernod Ricard North America, and Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian, who will be guiding liquid strategy for the full portfolio.