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Bacardi appoints Applbaum Grey Goose CMO

Lee Applbaum, Patrón Spirits global chief marketing officer (CMO), has added another string to his bow by taking on the additional position of CMO for Grey Goose vodka.

Lee Applbaum will now work as CMO for Patrón Spirits and Grey Goose vodka

Applbaum will be responsible for developing global marketing strategies for the Bacardi-owned vodka brand, including brand equity, architecture, positioning, advertising, brand communications, experiences, packaging and strategic directions on new product development and innovation.

He will report to Bacardi CEO Mahesh Madhavan and will be based in Bermuda, subject to approval from the Bermuda immigration department.

Madhavan said: “One of the greatest benefits of our recent acquisition of Patrón Spirits has been the merging and sharing of talent. It was always about more than just the liquid.

“These were the types of synergies that we were looking for when we acquired Patrón Spirits earlier this year.”

Bacardi completed its acquisition of Patrón Spirits International in April this year, in a deal that valued the Tequila maker at US$5.1 billion.

Applbaum will continue in his role as global CMO of Patrón Spirits, looking after the firm’s portfolio – including its namesake Tequila. He already spearheads global integrated marketing efforts across creative, media, public relations, innovation and experiential activation in more than 100 countries.

Applbaum commented: “Grey Goose and Patrón are two iconic brands that stand alongside each other behind some of the best bars in the world.

“We can learn a lot from each other and I look forward to a dynamic exchange of ideas, expertise and experiences between the two brand teams.”

Madhavan took over from Mike Dolan as CEO of Bacardi in October last year. Dolan retired as CEO on 1 April this year.

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