Current Director of Corporate Planning named first COO in company’s 75 year history
BARDSTOWN, KY–Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the nation’s largest family-owned and operated distilled spirits producer and marketer, elected Allan Latts as its first ever Chief Operating Officer (COO). Latts has been serving as Heaven Hill’s Director of Corporate Planning since he joined the company in 2001.
In his role as COO, Latts will be responsible for oversight and continuous improvement of internal operations that create and deliver Heaven Hill’s portfolio of distilled spirits products, one of the largest and most diverse in the industry. Specifically, Latts’ responsibilities include leading strategic planning and business development efforts; oversight and management of internal operations; and development of new company policies, procedures, and processes to enable future growth.
Latts joined Heaven Hill after a successful career in Finance at Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble. He served in various roles in the Food and Beverage Division, advancing to the position of Finance Manager for Folgers Coffee, one of P&G’s largest and most profitable brands. After five years with Procter & Gamble, he left to join Heaven Hill as Director of Corporate Planning.
Latts, who is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, graduated Cum Laude with Distinction from Duke University in 1991 with a major in Public Policy Studies, and earned his MBA from Duke in 1996 where he was named a Fuqua Scholar, an honor given to the top 10% of graduating students.
A 2005 graduate of Leadership Louisville, Latts’ charitable activities include serving on the Board of Governors of the J.B. Speed Art Museum where he is currently chairman of the Investment Committee and member of the Executive Committee. Allan is also co-chair of the Glacier Run Capital Campaign for the Louisville Zoo, and a past Vice Chairman and Director of the Kentucky Manufacturers Assistance Corporation. He is also past chair of the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation and currently serves on the Jewish Community of Louisville’s finance committee.
“Allan’s election as Chief Operating Officer, the first in the history of the company, is recognition both of his contributions to Heaven Hill’s growth and of our commitment to best management practices,” asserted Heaven Hill President Max L. Shapira. “Allan, along with his wife Kate, our Director of Marketing, and my son Andy Shapira, our Director of Sales Analysis, represent the third generation of our family’s leadership, and they possess the vision and capability to take Heaven Hill to even greater heights in the future.”
Heaven Hill, founded in 1934 by Max Shapira’s father and four uncles, has grown to become the nation’s seventh-largest distilled spirits supplier and second-largest holder of aging American Whiskey.
Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heaven-hill.com) has a diversified portfolio of brands that includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Hpnotiq Liqueur; Whaler’s Rum; Burnett’s Gin and Vodkas; Dubonnet Aperitif; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Água Luca Brazilian Rum Cachaça, and Lunazul Tequila.
Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”
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CONTACT:
Larry Kass
Director of Corporate Communications
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
(502)413-0220
lkass@heavenhill.com