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UK-based spirits distiller William Grant & Sons has announced the appointment of Søren Hagh as its chief executive officer from 1 January 2024. Hagh will take on the responsibility for this role from Glenn Gordon, who will remain as non-executive director on the board. He will join William Grant & Sons from Heineken, where he is currently president for the European region, to be succeeded by the newly appointed Glenn Caton as reported by FoodBev last week. Previously at Heineken, before taking on the president of Europe role in March 2020, Hagh held roles as managing director of Italy and executive director, global marketing. Prior to Heineken, he worked with L’Oreal in marketing and in-market distribution roles. A spokesperson for William Grant & Sons welcomed Hagh’s appointment, commenting: “There is no doubt that Søren will provide strong leadership for the company, as he brings a tremendous wealth of relevant experience to the business from his many years working in the drinks sector and with his substantial commercial and marketing experience building global consumer brands in a number of sectors”. William Grant & Sons recently announced its 2022 financial results and has reported that it has maintained record levels of investment in its brands and distilleries, despite difficult market conditions. The company said it expects the business to be ‘well positioned for consistent growth in the long-term’ under Hagh’s leadership. The distiller’s portfolio includes well-known Scotch whisky brands including the single-malt Glenfiddich, as well as other renowned spirits brands such as Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry.