Royal Dutch Distillers, Inc. announced today the appointment of Mark J. De Witte as CEO of the globally recognized, family-owned business, De Kuyper Holding NV, effective September 1st 2015. He will join the board of directors per July 1st 2015. De Witte’s years of experience in the business of spirits distribution and management will surely prove to be an invaluable resource in maintaining De Kuyper’s long-standing tradition as an innovative international company that provides a wide range of premium-quality craft spirits.
Before joining the De Kuyper family, Mark De Witte held a number of leadership positions under the renown spirits company, Bacardi Limited. De Witte worked with Bacardi since 2000, first as Managing Director of Bacardi Netherlands, moving his way up to CEO of Bacardi Germany and Managing Director of Bacardi Business Unit DACH & Nordics. In the years between, he stood as CEO of Bacardi UK & Ireland and CEO of the Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands. With more than 25-years of experience in global spirits distribution, De Witte will play a key role in optimizing the company’s global brand management and portfolio expansion.
“The opportunity for my family to bring Mark De Witte into our family business will certainly landmark a new era for the company and its global success”, says Marc De Kuyper, president of the company’s Miami-based premium spirit division, Royal Dutch Distillers, and 11th generation De Kuyper. “Our current CEO, Ben van Doesburgh, successfully built a strong foundation for both our company and the 11th generation. I look forward to work closely with Mark de Witte to further build on Ben’s legacy to ultimately steer our company into its next 320 years of existence.” Marc De Kuyper adds, “Having Mark De Witte on board will allow me to continue to focus on expanding our sales and marketing infrastructure for our craft spirits in the United States. His expertise and vision will certainly have a big impact on our success in the American markets”
Mark De Witte’s knowledge will reinvigorate the De Kuyper brand as well as the company’s independent brands, so that it may focus on providing the world with its family’s authentic and truly artisanal craft spirits that have distinguished them from other brands for generations.
Source: Royal Dutch Distillers, Inc.