Walter Cowell, most recently Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits VP-Commercial Operations for Florida, has been promoted to Executive Vice President/General Manager of Mid-Atlantic, responsible for the Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware markets. He will be reporting to Gene Sullivan, President, East Region, and will be relocating to the Washington DC area.
Greg Astle, most recently the Vice President of Trade Development for Southern Glazer’s Transatlantic division, succeeds Conwell as VP-Commercial Operations for Florida.
Mark Chaplin has been promoted to Director of Sales and Commercial Operations for the East Region. In this role, He will report to David Stuart, Senior Vice President, Sales and Commercial Operations – East Region.
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Diageo will relocate its North American offices from Connecticut to 3 World Trade Center, New York City, having signed a 15-year lease for 87,000 square feet on the 41st and 42nd floors of the 80-story, 2.5-million-square-feet office tower.
Diageo will invest $31 million into the new office and move 500 employees next year from its offices in Norwalk, Conn., and 530 Fifth Avenue.
The Wall Street Journal has noted that Connecticut’s high tax rate has sent major companies scurrying to other jurisdictions. Businesses in the Nutmeg State face a top marginal rate of 8.25%. In New York State, the top rate is 6.5%, according to the Tax Foundation.