Former Southern Glazer’s president and longtime industry veteran Shelly Stein has been appointed chairman of the Dallas-based WES Brands advisory board.
WES Brands is the parent company of Flecha Azul Tequila and BSB Flavored Whiskey. We recently told you about how the Flecha Azul Tequila brand is mounting a global expansion into the founders’ home country of Mexico in tandem with the appointment of Chris Seithel as senior vice president of sales.
Flecha Azul Tequila co-founders Aron Marquez (left) and Abraham Ancer (right). (Photo: Business Wire)
Stein says the company has “already seen substantial growth with existing brands and has many exciting innovations in the pipeline that are sure to propel the business forward.”
In a statement, he said, “I look forward to working with the incredibly talented team of industry veterans at WES Brands.”
Stein recently retired as president of Southern Glazer’s and his extensive industry experience includes 13 years as CEO of Glazer’s Distributors and then president of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, where he was instrumental in positioning it as a leader in the beverage alcohol distribution space.
Stein says he retired from the role with the “utmost gratitude for the experience of helping to build the industry leader in alcohol distribution.”
As CEO of the family-owned Glazer’s Distributors, Stein played an important role in the merger of Glazer’s and Southern Wine & Spirits to create Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
“WES Brands is extremely fortunate to have Shelly as the Chair of their Advisory Board,” Wayne E. Chaplin, chief executive officer, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, said in a statement. “His creativity and knowledge of our industry was a huge benefit to us at Southern Glazer’s and these same traits will serve as a great value creator for the WES Brands portfolio.”
Stein will continue to serve as an adviser to Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits board of managers and remain as CEO of Glazer’s Beer and Beverage. He also will continue to serve on the board of advisers for Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits.
Before working in the beverage alcohol space, Stein was an adviser to Glazer’s Distributors while a vice chairman of investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He also held roles as a senior managing director at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. for more than 20 years and as a partner in the Dallas law firm of Hughes & Luce.
Stein’s appointment comes a few months after WES Brands’ announcement of a new executive suite, including Shawn Thurman as CEO, Sean Penn as co-president & chief operating officer, Kyle Stein as co-president, Chris Jebbia as senior vice president of finance, Chris Seithel as SVP of sales, Lauren Ryan-Kiyak as SVP of marketing, and Russel Louis as SVP of operations.
Founded in 2021, WES Brands develops, markets, and sells innovative brands in the beverage alcohol category. It’s an entrepreneurial and employee-owned company that pairs high-potential brands in expanding categories with brand partners to drive awareness.
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Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, the world's largest wholesale distributor of beverage alcohol, announced that President Sheldon "Shelly" Stein will retire, effective July 1. The company has headquarters in Dallas and Miami. Stein played a critical role in the successful merger of Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s Distributors in 2016, establishing Southern Glazer’s as the largest wholesaler in the industry. “Shelly has been a transformative leader at Southern Glazer’s, leading the integration that made it possible for Southern Glazer’s to become the first truly cross-continental wholesaler,” CEO Wayne E. Chaplin said in a statement. “With his contributions, we established…
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Flecha Azul was co-founded in 2019 by Aron Marquez and Abraham Ancer, who wanted to create an authentic, additive-free tequila like the ones they'd enjoyed back home. Actor Mark Wahlberg joined the company in 2022 to help bring the craft product worldwide.
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