Leading Executives in Beverage Distributors
Wayne E. Chaplin
President & Chief Executive Officer, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Longtime industry leader who scaled SGWS into the largest beverage alcohol distributor in North America; recently led expansion into beer distribution in New York City via acquisition of Anheuser‑Busch’s owned NYC operation and elevated new commercial leadership to drive growth.
Robert (Bob) Hendrickson
Chief Executive Officer & President, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC)
Veteran operator who became CEO & President in 2025 after serving as COO; steering RNDC through portfolio shifts and a major California market exit that is reshaping distributor alignments nationwide.
Website | Leadership bio | News
Tom Bené
President & Chief Executive Officer, Breakthru Beverage Group
Distribution strategist known for technology and footprint expansion; appointed President & CEO to drive Breakthru’s next phase, including M&A and West region build‑out.
Mark Hubler
Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Brothers
Leads one of the largest family‑owned wine, spirits, and beer distributors in the U.S.; added senior talent and expanded key supplier relationships across 17+ states in 2025.
Dean Ferrell
President & Chief Executive Officer, Winebow
Heads Winebow’s national wholesale and import platform, strengthening portfolio management and execution across U.S. markets.
Tom Day
Chief Executive Officer, Reyes Beer Division, Reyes Beverage Group (Reyes Beer Division)
Runs the largest beer distributor in the U.S.; led multi‑state acquisitions and integrations that accelerated Reyes’ national scale.
Chris Steffanci
President & Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Distributing
Modernized one of the West’s biggest beer and beverage distributors, sharpening commercial, operations and strategy capabilities across the Pacific Northwest.
Simon Bergson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Manhattan Beer & Beverage Distributors
Founder who built Manhattan Beer into one of the nation’s largest single‑market beverage distributors; recently rebranded to reflect a diversified portfolio and continued sustainability investments.
Flint Prewitt
President, Beverage Division, Ben E. Keith Beverages
Took the helm of the Beverage Division in 2024, advancing a growth agenda at one of America’s largest independent beer wholesalers.
Jonathan Yusen
President & Chief Executive Officer, Allied Beverage Group (NJ)
Seasoned supplier‑side executive tapped to lead New Jersey’s largest wine & spirits distributor following its combination with Breakthru’s NJ unit.
Eric Pfeil
President & Chief Executive Officer, Empire Merchants (Downstate NY)
Guides New York City’s leading wine & spirits distributor, leveraging deep supplier partnerships and executional scale across the country’s most competitive market.
Will Dorminy
Owner & President, Southern Crown Partners (SC/GA)
Third‑generation owner‑operator who grew a historic Anheuser‑Busch house into a full‑line ‘one‑stop’ beverage wholesaler across 60+ counties; recently expanded via KW Beverage acquisition.
Website | Local news (acquisition)
James R. “Bubba” Moffett Jr.
President & Chief Executive Officer, Crescent Crown Distributing (AZ/LA)
Leads one of the largest beer distributors in the U.S., recognized repeatedly by top suppliers for commercial excellence in Arizona and Louisiana.
Robert S. Lipman
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Lipman Brothers (TN)
Chairman & CEO who expanded Tennessee’s oldest distributor into a diversified portfolio company, with decades of service to WSWA and the local community.
Richard Leventhal
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Fedway Associates (NJ)
Long‑time chief of one of New Jersey’s top wholesalers, stewarding blue‑chip portfolios and deep on/off‑premise relationships statewide.
Carmine P. Martignetti
President & Co‑Owner, Martignetti Companies (New England)
Co‑owner who scaled New England’s largest distributor and expanded into beer through acquisitions like Quality Beverage to create a multi‑category powerhouse.
Doug Hertz
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, United Distributors (GA/AL)
Fourth‑generation leader who has overseen decades of growth at one of the Southeast’s largest privately held beverage distributors.
Harvey Allen
President & Chief Executive Officer, M.S. Walker (MA/RI/NY/NJ)
Fifth‑generation family executive leading a combined importer, producer, and regional distributor platform across the Northeast.
Dina Opici
President, Opici Family Distributing (Mid‑Atlantic)
President of a top U.S. wine distributor and first woman to chair WSWA, championing wholesaler advocacy and industry modernization.
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