Hensley Beverage Company president and CCO Andy McCain has been promoted to CEO of the beverage distributor, effective immediately.
McCain has worked for Hensley — a 69-year-old independent Anheuser-Busch InBev wholesaler that covers Arizona and New Mexico — for more than 27 years, serving in several leadership roles over that time, including CFO. He was appointed president and COO in 2016.
Hensley was founded by Jim Hensley in 1955 and inherited by his daughter Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain. The distributor grew via acquisitions of Golden Eagle Distributing in 2016 and Premier Distributing in 2023.
McCain replaces former CEO Bob Delgado, who has moved to the role of chairman of Hensley’s board of directors. Delgaldo has spent more than 50 years at Hensley. He was named president in 1994, and added the title of CEO in 2000.
“Andy’s leadership during these unprecedented times has been exceptional,” Delgado said in a press release. “His poise, confidence, and strategic acumen have earned him the right to lead Hensley as CEO, and I have complete faith in his ability to drive our continued success.”
With McCain’s promotion, Hensley CFO Omar Perez will be taking over the responsibilities of COO, operating in a dual role. Perez has worked at Hensley for more than a decade, and “played a pivotal role in the company’s expansion,” which included the acquisition of fellow A-B houses Golden Eagle Distributors in 2016 (adding 9 million cases), and Premier Beverage in 2023 (adding 7.5 million cases).
“Our company has been very thoughtful about our succession planning,” Delgado continued in the release. “We have a very talented group of senior leaders who understand that our past success was driven by representing a portfolio of quality brands, providing a work environment that offers stability and opportunity for personal growth, and a strong commitment to the communities we serve.”