WhistlePig Whiskey Announces Key Executive Hires
Experienced spirits executives join independent whiskey leader to further accelerate growth
It certainly seems like WhistlePig has dialed up not only their whiskey game, but also their marketing game. Today the Shoreham, Vermont distillery announces two new hires with quite a background in the spirits and marketing world. Speaking of the WhistlePig whiskey game, PiggyBack 6 Year Bourbon just landed on the review desk, stay tuned for a written review and some video content from Weekly Whiskey on that!
SHOREHAM, VT (September 20, 2022) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the #1 distiller in the ultra-premium Rye Whiskey category in North America, today announces the appointment of Sarah Long as Chief Marketing Officer and Duffey Sida as Chief Sales Officer. The leadership hires fall on the heels of the launch of WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey and will support WhistlePig’s continued portfolio and distribution footprint expansion.
Sarah Long brings 20 years of brand management, marketing, sales and innovation experience to WhistlePig. In her role as CMO, she will be responsible for the brand and the integrated marketing strategy, reinforcing WhistlePig’s position in the industry as the leader of the Rye revolution and advancing the prominence of the brand and its portfolio of exceptional whiskeys within the broader whiskey category.
Prior to WhistlePig, Long served as CMO at Mars Wrigley and Rémy Cointreau respectively where she oversaw their respective multi-billion dollar portfolios of iconic global brands in the United States. Over her career, Long has held several leadership positions across marketing, sales and innovation at Diageo North America, Molson Coors Brewing Company and Procter & Gamble. Among her many achievements growing brands, Long was named Campaign US’ 50 Trailblazing Marketers and Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing, and she is also a Marketing Academy Fellow.
“WhistlePig has proven itself as an unrivaled player in the whiskey industry, and I’m honored to join a team of boundary-pushing whiskey wizards”
Sarah Long
“WhistlePig has proven itself as an unrivaled player in the whiskey industry, and I’m honored to join a team of boundary-pushing whiskey wizards,” said Long. “I look forward to collaborating with WhistlePig to help elevate the brand during the right moments and foster continued success and community for WhistlePig and its growing fandom.”
Formerly the head of RARE US at Campari Group, Duffey Sida has been in spirits sales for 20 years with major suppliers like Campari and Constellation. As WhistlePig CSO, Sida will lead the WhistlePig’s sales team to further build out and enhance their route to market both in the US and internationally.
In addition to leading RARE, Sida was the architect of Campari’s very successful Control States Division, elected to the NABCA Industry Advisory Board and served as a Project Manager for multiple Distributor Initiatives. Sida’s history of collaborating closely with distributor partners and building best-in-class sales teams were all key factors in the hire.
“In the 20 years that span my spirits sales career, I’ve never had a position quite like the one with the indie leader of craft whiskey. To say I’m excited is an understatement”
Duffey Sida
“In the 20 years that span my spirits sales career, I’ve never had a position quite like the one with the indie leader of craft whiskey. To say I’m excited is an understatement,” said Sida. “I’m eager to find groundbreaking avenues for creating strategic sales growth and expanding our relationships with whiskey distributors and fanatics.”
Long and Sida join WhistlePig during a period of substantial growth and innovation. After launching WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye in 2019 to much acclaim, WhistlePig is doubling down on their category-defining style with the launch of WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey. The requisite partner to PiggyBack 100% Rye, PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon showcases WhistlePig’s bold approach to grain, age and proof. WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon is now available in select markets nationwide.
“While we all look at our brilliant whiskey-making team to call the shots, Sarah and Duffey’s decades of leadership experience in both CPG as well as the broader spirits industry will help propel the brand forward to our next phase of market growth with Bourbon and more whiskey experimentation,” said Jeff Kozak, CEO of WhistlePig. “We’ll drink to that.”
To learn more about WhistlePig Whiskey, visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. You can also check out WhistlePig Whiskey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About WhistlePig Whiskey
Located off the grid on a 500-acre Vermont farm, WhistlePig Whiskey is crafted by a new generation of whiskey makers driven to reinvent and unlock the flavor of whiskey, starting with Rye. Through their rebellious pursuit of experimenting and breaking boundaries in the industry, WhistlePig has become the leading independent craft whiskey brand, awarded Best Rye Whiskey (SFWSC 2021). WhistlePig is committed to becoming the best whiskey both on and for the planet, starting with its solar powered Farm and distillery, and local grain-to-glass operation. For more information, head to whistlepigwhiskey.com.
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