Brown family member promoted at Brown-Forman

Brown-Forman Corp. announced Monday that George Garvin Brown IV is being promoted to executive vice president of the Louisville-based spirits company effective May 1.

He will report to Chief Executive Officer Paul Varga and continue to be presiding board chairman and co-chairman of the Brown-Forman/Brown Family Shareholders Committee. Brown’s new role is to lead planning on strategic and operational matters related to the board and the Brown family, which controls a majority of the company’s voting shares.

For at least the last three years, Brown has directed the company’s business in Western Europe and South Africa, Varga said in a statement.

“This is work Garvin is uniquely very well qualified to lead, given his experience operating at the intersection of the board, family, and management arenas over the last several years,” Varga said.

Brown, 41, joined the company in 1996. While he and his immediate family will continue to reside in London, Brown will work in both Louisville and London in the new role.

Brown is in the fifth generation of the Brown family, which descends from company founder George Garvin Brown. He is the grandson of former CEO George Garvin Brown II and is the highest ranking executive among family members in the company.

Also, the company announced Lawson Whiting will be managing director for Western Europe effective May 1. He will be based in London.

Brown-Forman’s is the maker of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey among its other brands and employs almost 4,000 people.