The Hindu Business Line : UB’s Whyte & Mackay to have a new MD

Bangalore, July 6 The newly-acquired Scotch whisky company of the UB group, Whyte & Mackay will shortly have a new managing director while it has set up its own distribution channel to market its brands globally.

A top UB official told Business Line that Mr Bob Brannan, the Managing Director of Whyte & Mackay since March 2005 is leaving the company.

The official said Mr Brannan had conveyed the decision to the new owners of the private label Scotch whisky company, the UB Group, sometime ago.

The UB Group is learnt to have shortlisted a top executive of a global FMCG company to head Whyte & Mackay and he is expected to take up his new assignment in another two months.

The UB Group has already deputed two of its senior officials, Mr Alok Gupta to head branding and marketing and Mr Ashoke Roy to head finance of the Scottish company. Mr Alok Gupta who used to head marketing for United Spirits has now been replaced with Mr Amrit Thomas who earlier headed Hindustan Unilever’s beverages division.

Mr Brannan is learnt to have decided to leave Whyte & Mackay because he wanted to pursue projects which are more local as the existing company had now become an overseas subsidiary of UB Holdings.

Meanwhile, Whyte & Mackay has set up its own global distribution channel to market its brands after terminating its tie up with Maxxium Worldwide.

Maxxium was responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of Whyte & Mackay’s brands as well as other premium spirits and wine brands including Absolut Vodka, the Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky, Jim Beam Bourbon and Remy Martin Cognac. Maxxium was owned by four equal shareholders, the Edrington Group, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Remy Cointreau and the V & S Group.

Remy Cointreau recently served a notice to Maxxium Worldwide to terminate its distribution arrangement which will be effective from March 30, 2009. The UB official said the group was working along with Whyte & Mackay officials to get a better understanding of the company. UB has set a target of about £45 million – £50 million as EBITDA profits this fiscal. It has also shortlisted a few brands such as Isle of Jura in the Whyte & Mackay stable to be marketed in India. UB Group acquired Whyte & Mackay for £595 million in May this year.

The UB Group is keen to take Whyte & Mackay to Asian countries and wants to dip into the Scottish company’s huge inventory of raw Scotch to blend its own whiskies.

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