St. Louis, Missouri, United States, November 2025 — MGP Ingredients, a leading U.S. supplier of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches, has announced the appointment of Matias Bentel as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). With more than two decades of global experience spanning brand strategy, business transformation, and digital innovation, Matias brings an exceptional record of driving growth and creative excellence across the beverage and consumer goods industries.
Before joining MGP Ingredients, Matias spent nearly 17 years at Brown-Forman, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Brands Officer (CMO). In this role, he led a global team of over 600 marketers, overseeing a $500 million marketing investment portfolio. Matias spearheaded a sweeping transformation of Brown-Forman’s marketing function—enhancing digital capability, creative excellence, and innovation. His leadership drove a 25–30% increase in advertising effectiveness, quadrupled e-commerce revenue to $240 million, and launched several high-impact initiatives, including the global partnership with The Coca-Cola Company to introduce Jack & Coke RTD, and a major sponsorship with the McLaren F1 Team for Jack Daniel’s.
Earlier at Brown-Forman, Matias served as SVP and Managing Director for the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands, overseeing the company’s flagship trademark valued at over $2.5 billion in sales. He successfully reversed a negative profit trend and accelerated innovation through the launch of Jack Daniel’s Apple and the premium brand portfolio. His tenure also included serving as Vice President and General Manager for Mexico, where he delivered record-breaking growth and led cultural transformation, earning Brown-Forman recognition as a Best Place to Work in the region.
Before Brown-Forman, Matias held marketing leadership roles at Diageo and Allied Domecq, where he managed major global portfolios such as Smirnoff, Cîroc, Captain Morgan, and Pampero, achieving remarkable revenue and profit growth across Latin America and the Caribbean. His career began at Kimberly-Clark as Product Manager for Family Care, followed by early academic experience as Assistant Professor of Marketing at Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA).
Matias’ appointment underscores MGP’s commitment to expanding its brand portfolio and advancing its position as a leader in the spirits industry through creativity, innovation, and purpose-driven growth.
About MGP Ingredients
MGP Ingredients is a leading U.S. producer of premium distilled spirits and the largest manufacturer of specialty wheat proteins and starches, serving customers worldwide. With over 150 years of craftsmanship, MGP combines art and science to produce high-quality gins, vodkas, and whiskeys, along with innovative non-GMO proteins and starches that add nutritional and sensory value to food products.
Headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, MGP operates state-of-the-art facilities in both Kansas and Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where it continues to blend tradition, technology, and innovation to craft products that enrich lives and deliver excellence across every category it serves.
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