Brown-Forman chief executive Lawson Whiting to retire

Brown-Forman, the US drinks group behind Jack Daniel's, has announced that president and chief executive Lawson Whiting will retire once a successor is appointed, according to Drinks International. No timeline or named candidates were disclosed alongside the announcement.

The transition comes at a difficult moment for the spirits sector broadly. American whiskey brands have faced softer demand in key markets, tariff pressures on cross-border trade, and a broader consumer pullback from premium spirits after the pandemic-era boom. Brown-Forman, like peers such as Diageo and Pernod Ricard, has had to recalibrate growth expectations after several years of exceptional volume gains.

A change at the top of one of the industry's most storied family-controlled companies will be watched closely for signals about strategic direction, including how aggressively the incoming leadership pushes into premiumisation, new categories such as ready-to-drink cocktails, or international expansion. Investors and distributors will want clarity quickly on timing and candidates, given how much of Brown-Forman's recent narrative has centred on navigating a slower demand environment for American whiskey.

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