Southern Glazer’s Appoints Glendal Vandenbempt as Managing Director of New Gold Division
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, one of the world’s leading total beverage distributors, has announced the appointment of Glendal Vandenbempt as Managing Director of its newly established Gold Division. Vandenbempt will officially assume the role on October 5, 2026, taking on a leadership position designed to strengthen the company’s commercial operations and support its relationships with key beverage brand partners.
In his new position, Vandenbempt will lead the corporate Gold Division, a business unit of Southern Glazer’s Beverage Company. The division will provide strategic and operational support across important markets, including New York and Colorado. In addition, he will have responsibility for overseeing Southern Glazer’s Anheuser-Busch portfolio across all markets in which the distributor represents Anheuser-Busch brands.
Vandenbempt will report directly to Mark Chaplin, President of Commercial Sales at Southern Glazer’s. His appointment brings an experienced consumer goods executive into a role with significant responsibilities spanning commercial strategy, customer relationships, technology, digital transformation and market operations.
The company said Vandenbempt’s extensive background and experience working across multiple functions of the consumer goods sector make him well positioned to guide the Gold Division as it continues to develop its operations and partnerships.
“We’re excited to welcome Glendal to our team and to see him step into this crucial role supporting the Anheuser-Busch portfolio in New York, Colorado and 17 other markets,” said Mark Chaplin, President, Commercial Sales, Southern Glazer’s. “His leadership will be instrumental in advancing our partnership with Anheuser-Busch while supporting the broader Gold Division business across these key markets.”
Chaplin also highlighted Vandenbempt’s ability to collaborate across organizations and his focus on customers and business performance.
“He brings a strong track record of collaboration, customer focus, and results-driven leadership,” Chaplin added. “I know he will be a tremendous resource for our teams and partners, and I look forward to working with him as we continue building on our success together.”
Extensive Consumer Goods Experience
Vandenbempt joins Southern Glazer’s with more than 18 years of international experience in the consumer goods industry. Over the course of his career, he has worked across a broad range of business disciplines, including sales, operations, finance and technology.
His professional background includes substantial experience with Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he held a series of executive leadership positions in both North America and Europe. His work at the global brewing company provided him with extensive exposure to commercial operations, digital initiatives, strategic partnerships and evolving go-to-market models.
Most recently, Vandenbempt served as Vice President of Integrations within the Business and Wholesaler Development U.S. team at Anheuser-Busch InBev. In that role, he was responsible for leading national strategic partnerships and contributing to broader commercial strategy initiatives.
His responsibilities also included digital programs and route-to-market transformation efforts. These areas have become increasingly important across the beverage industry as distributors, manufacturers and retailers seek to improve efficiency, strengthen customer engagement and use technology to make better-informed commercial decisions.
Vandenbempt’s previous leadership positions at Anheuser-Busch InBev included Vice President of Digital Sales and Operations for the United States and Vice President of Technology Strategy & Deployment for North America. Earlier in his career, he served as Executive Director of On Premise, or HORECA, for Belgium.
The variety of these roles has given him experience across both strategic and operational areas of the beverage business. It has also provided an understanding of the different requirements involved in serving customers through on-premise channels, managing sales organizations and implementing technology-driven business initiatives.
Focus on Digital Transformation and Innovation
A major theme throughout Vandenbempt’s career has been the use of technology to improve commercial performance. He has led initiatives involving digital transformation, sales operations and technology deployment, helping organizations adapt to changing customer expectations and increasingly data-driven business environments.
His experience also includes the use of AI-powered analytics to support decision-making. As artificial intelligence and advanced analytics become more prominent within consumer goods, these capabilities are increasingly being applied to areas such as sales planning, customer engagement, demand forecasting and operational efficiency.
Vandenbempt’s background therefore aligns with the broader transformation taking place across the beverage distribution industry. Companies operating in the sector are increasingly looking for ways to combine established commercial relationships with digital tools, data and technology to improve execution and respond more effectively to market changes.
His experience with large-scale business operations is another important element of his new role at Southern Glazer’s. Managing beverage portfolios across multiple states and markets requires coordination among sales teams, suppliers, customers and other business partners. Vandenbempt’s previous leadership experience across North America and Europe is expected to provide a valuable foundation for managing these complex relationships.
Strengthening the Gold Division
The creation of the Gold Division represents an important organizational development for Southern Glazer’s. The division will support operations in New York and Colorado while also playing a role in the company’s management of the Anheuser-Busch portfolio across its relevant markets.
According to the company, the Anheuser-Busch portfolio under Vandenbempt’s oversight will span New York, Colorado and 17 additional markets where Southern Glazer’s represents Anheuser-Busch brands.
The appointment comes as beverage distribution continues to evolve, with distributors increasingly expected to provide more than traditional logistics and sales services. Strategic collaboration, technology adoption, data analytics and route-to-market optimization are becoming important components of the relationship between distributors, beverage producers and customers.
Vandenbempt’s combination of commercial, technological and operational experience could therefore play a central role in helping Southern Glazer’s address these changing expectations.
His responsibilities will extend beyond individual markets, with the Gold Division serving as a corporate business unit supporting operations across multiple locations. This structure creates an opportunity to align commercial practices, strengthen collaboration and pursue consistent strategies across the markets involved.
Industry Leadership and Broader Innovation Experience
In addition to his executive positions within Anheuser-Busch InBev, Vandenbempt has participated in industry boards and advised technology startups focused on innovation in the consumer-packaged goods sector.
These experiences have exposed him to developments beyond traditional beverage operations and provided opportunities to engage with emerging technologies and new approaches to business growth.
His work with technology-focused startups is particularly relevant as consumer goods companies continue to explore innovative solutions for sales, marketing, supply chains and customer engagement. Combining established industry knowledge with exposure to emerging technologies can help businesses identify new opportunities while maintaining focus on practical commercial outcomes.
At Southern Glazer’s, this experience is expected to complement the company’s existing capabilities and support its ongoing relationships with suppliers and customers.
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