Last updated on June 13th, 2024
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has made changes to its East Region executive team effective immediately.
Walter Cowell, most recently the VP of commercial operations for Florida, has been promoted to EVP and GM of Mid-Atlantic, responsible for the Maryland, D.C. and Delaware markets. In this new role, he will report to Gene Sullivan, president, East Region, and will be relocating to the D.C. area. Reporting to Cowell will be Jim Miller, GM of Delaware, and Andy Gergel, GM of Maryland and D.C. Cowell has been with Southern Glazer’s for 16 years, holding multiple roles of increasing responsibility, including VP of sales and marketing and dedicated division VP and GM. Prior to joining the company, Cowell held various sales and management roles with Shieffelin & Somerset Co. and Empire Distributors Inc.
“Walter has been an outstanding contributor to the Florida market during his tenure with the company,” said Gene Sullivan. “His nearly 30 years of industry experience coupled with his proven ability to drive business performance and value for our customers and suppliers, positions him for continued success as he takes on this new leadership role in the Mid-Atlantic.”
Succeeding Cowell as VP of commercial operations for Florida is Greg Astle, most recently the VP of trade development for Southern Glazer’s Transatlantic division. In this new role, Astle will direct day-to-day sales and operations for Florida, reporting to Patrick Cassidy, EVP and GM of Florida. Astle has been with Southern Glazer’s for eight years. Prior to his position in the Transatlantic division, he was VP of trade marketing for the Coastal Wine & Spirits division of Florida. Before joining Southern Glazer’s, Astle held roles of increasing responsibility with Diageo North America and E&J Gallo Winery.
“We are thrilled to have Greg move into this critical leadership role in Florida,” said Patrick Cassidy. “Greg is a performance-driven team leader who knows this market inside and out, and I’m confident his leadership will help us continue to enhance executional excellence for our supplier partners and customers throughout the state.”
In addition, Mark Chaplin has been promoted to director of sales and commercial operations for the East Region. In this role, Chaplin will report to David Stuart, SVP, sales and commercial operations East Region. He will be responsible for managing commercial sales deliverables and serving as a key point of contact for strategic supplier interaction and performance within the region. Most recently, Chaplin worked in the East Region commercial strategy group where he contributed to various key strategic initiatives such as route-to-market restructuring and commercial operations designs. Chaplin joined Southern Glazer’s in 2018. His prior work experience includes positions with Gallo Sales Co., Merrill Lynch, Grant Thornton and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
“Mark has been an excellent addition to the East Region team,” added Sullivan. “We look forward to having him help continue to enhance East Region performance for all of our valued suppliers.”
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is a North American wine and spirits distributor and a data insights company for alcoholic beverages. It has operations in 44 U.S. states and D.C., Canada and the Caribbean, and employs more than 20,000 team members.
