The world’s largest beer manufacturer is seeking a new CEO for its North American operations.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) announced today the planned departure of North American CEO Brendan Whitworth. Whitworth will exit at the end of November to join high-end gym chain Equinox.
A-B said it will announce a new North American Zone leader “in due course.” Until then, A-B’s North American leadership team will report to A-B InBev CEO Michel Doukeris.
“My sincere thanks to Brendan for his contributions to A-B InBev and for his partnership over the past 13 years,” Doukeris said in a statement. “The strategy in the U.S. that has been in place since 2018 has resulted in an industry-leading portfolio, strong alignment with our wholesaler partners and sustained commercial momentum. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our world-class North America leadership team, wholesalers and partners to accelerate our current momentum.”
Whitworth added: “I’d like to thank Michel Doukeris for his strong support during my tenure at A-B InBev. I am incredibly proud of the North America leadership team and everything we have accomplished together, and I am confident that the business will continue to be successful in the years and decades to come.”
Whitworth was appointed president of the North American Zone in July 2021, succeeding Doukeris as he transitioned to A-B InBev CEO. He joined A-B in 2013 and had served as chief sales officer.
Whitworth’s tenure will be remembered for the Bud Light marketing blowup and conservative-led boycott of the company after a one-off partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a social media influencer who is a transgender woman.
Whitworth notably survived that fiasco but the Bud Light brand remains in steady decline. Bud Light dollars (-7.8%) and volume (-8.8%) are solidly in the red year-to-date through October 4 in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers.
Bud Light’s YTD declines (-$183 million) have outpaced Michelob Ultra’s gains (+$179.2 million) so far this year.
Michelob Ultra remains a bright spot for the A-B business, growing 6.4%, to $2.98 billion, in dollar sales, while volume is up 6.1% YTD.
Year-to-date through October 4, A-B’s off-premise dollar sales are down 0.1%, to nearly $10.7 billion, while volume has fallen 1.5% in Circana-tracked multi-outlet plus convenience stores.
In the last decade, A-B’s business has shed around 30.8 million barrels, going from 94 million barrels in 2015 to 63.4 million barrels in 2025, Beer Marketer’s Insights reported earlier this year. Whitworth bore witness to those volume declines, both in the chief sales role and later as CEO, but also to the rise of Michelob Ultra and Busch Light, as well as an ongoing portfolio transition.
Whitworth also inherited the U.S. business just as A-B was beginning to dip its toe outside of beer. The company acquired spirits-based RTDs Cutwater in 2019 and Nütrl vodka seltzer in 2020, via Canadian subsidiary Labatt. The company bought a majority stake in BeatBox Beverages earlier this year.
In the announcement of his hiring at Equinox, Whitworth said: “Equinox is an extraordinary brand and business that has truly defined high-performance living for more than three decades, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the company into its next chapter of growth.”