Jack Daniel’s whiskey maker Brown-Forman Corp. in March restructured its technology leadership around the supply chain, which the company’s chief financial officer has identified as a source of pressure.
For Brown-Forman, glass supply pressures were the largest driver of supply-chain disruption, Leanne Cunningham, the company’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, said in its third-quarter earnings call last month. The company is also facing cost pressures from rising commodity prices, including agave and grain, she noted.
“Our cost increases have been driven by our efforts to minimize the impact of the supply chain disruptions largely related to the glass supply constraints,” Ms. Cunningham said during the call.
Tim Nall, the company’s former chief information officer, was promoted March 2 to senior vice president, chief global supply chain and technology officer. He reports to Chief Executive Officer Lawson Whiting. On March 16, the company named Dan Muraski as CIO.
Brown-Forman CIO Dan Muraski.
Photo: Brown-Forman Corp
Brown-Forman CISO Sailaja Kotra-Turner.
Photo: Brown-Forman Corp.
Mr. Muraski, a veteran of more than 12 years at the company, said he plans to focus on supply-chain efficiency, as well as the company’s data-analytics capabilities.
“We can better inform our supply chain with better planning, so to me that is probably the number one place where technology can play a role,” Mr. Muraski said Wednesday in an interview. “There are probably things we could do to our processes around planning and ordering that we could do better,” he said.
Sailaja Kotra-Turner was named the company’s first chief information security officer on March 16. She reports to Mr. Nall. Ms. Kotra-Turner, joined the company in September 2020 as global director of information-technology security and governance. She previously held roles at Brinker International and Texas Instruments.
Glass supply shortages affected the beverage industry as demand increased during the pandemic, said Andrea Teixeira, a J.P. Morgan senior equity research analyst.
The Louisville, Ky.-based company’s brands include Old Forester bourbon, el Jimador tequila, Fords Gin and Korbel sparkling wine. It sells its products in 170 countries.
Write to Suman Bhattacharyya at [email protected]
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