Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, announced Robert Furniss-Roe, 50, has informed the Company he will be leaving to pursue other opportunities, but has agreed to remain as an advisor to the global CEO for an extended period of time.
The Company has named industry veteran Peter J. Carr, 48, as Regional President of Bacardi North America, with responsibility for leading all commercial operations in the region for its internationally-known portfolio of premium spirits.
In this role, Mr. Carr will be a member of the Bacardi Global Leadership Team reporting into Bacardi Limited CEO Michael J. Dolan. Mr. Carr will be based in Coral Gables, Florida. The appointment takes effect in September.
“Pete possesses an extraordinary mix of spirits, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverage knowledge with a proven leadership track record of increasing profits in the marketplace,” said Mike Dolan. “Combined with his strong relationship and team-building skills and keen understanding of both the supplier and wholesale sides of the industry, I’m confident he will have a positive impact and drive results in our largest market.”
Mr. Carr has nearly 25 years of experience in the beverage industry, and was most recently Executive Vice President for privately held Glazer’s Distributors, one of the country’s largest distributors of wine, spirits and malt beverages. Prior to joining Glazer's, Mr. Carr held various senior management roles with Diageo including President of U.S. Spirits, President of Sales for Diageo-Guinness USA, and President of Control States. Previously, Mr. Carr worked in the beverage industry and launched Red Bull in the United States.
“I am personally thrilled to be joining Bacardi with its exceptional portfolio of some of the best-selling and most iconic spirits in the industry. There are tremendous opportunities to grow the business and value in North America,” said Mr. Carr. “I look forward to working with the talented team at Bacardi, the top brands, in a culture of family values and ownership.”
Mr. Furniss-Roe joined Bacardi in 1989. During his 25-year tenure with the Company, he held critical roles around the world, developing and expanding the Company. In addition to serving as Regional President of North America, his other roles included Regional President of Latin America; Vice President and Head of Global Sales; Bacardi Limited Chief of Staff; Vice President of Corporate Responsibility; Interim Regional President of the Europe, Middle East & Africa Region. In all those roles, he served on the Bacardi Global Leadership Team. Other positions he held include Area Director for Russia/CIS/Poland; Area Director for Asia Pacific; and various senior marketing roles in France and the United States.
During his three years leading the North America region, he led the introduction of new trademarks including D’USSÉ cognac and the FACUNDO Rum Collection. Mr. Furniss-Roe also drove the launches of a number of innovative brand extensions, all launched first in the U.S., including GREY GOOSE Cherry Noir and BACARDÍ Pineapple Fusion – both of which have since expanded to additional markets. On the commercial side, he led a series of initiatives to improve performance in the all-important on-premise business.
“We thank Robert for his extraordinary dedication to Bacardi and for helping us build our business around the world. Under Robert’s leadership, Bacardi saw rapid growth in Russia, expansion in South America, the development of new markets such as India, and the launch of successful innovations in North America,” said Mr. Dolan. “We thank Robert for his commitment to Bacardi and the spirits industry as a whole and wish him the very best in his next endeavor.”
