Spirits Industry Veteran to Head Leading Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Mix Brand
CHICAGO, October 23, 2019 – Zing Zang, LLC (“Zing Zang” or the “Company”), the leading and fastest growing non-alcoholic cocktail mix brand in the U.S., today announced that Brent Albertson has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2019. Mr. Albertson has served as Zing Zang’s President and Chief Commercial Officer since 2016 and succeeds Doug Corbett, an Operating Partner at NexPhase Capital, who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors.
“When NexPhase acquired Zing Zang in 2016, we believed the brand was poised to become the leader in the non-alcoholic cocktail mix category. Together with our experienced Board and management team, we have achieved this goal by delivering Zing Zang’s award winning lineup of products made with quality ingredients to customers around the country,” said Mr. Corbett. “With decades of industry experience and a deep understanding of the business, Brent is ideally suited to drive the Company’s continued profitable growth and commitment to the customer experience.”
Mr. Albertson is a 30-year veteran of the beverage industry with deep expertise growing brands through sales and marketing execution. Mr. Albertson has served as President and Chief Customer Officer of Zing Zang since 2016 where he was responsible for developing and managing the Company’s distributor and retailer relationships, which have propelled Zing Zang into the leading non-alcoholic cocktail mix brand. Prior to his time at Zing Zang, Mr. Albertson spent much of his career at Diageo, a global alcoholic beverage company. Mr. Albertson gained experience working across many aspects of Diageo’s business and rose to hold multiple leadership roles, including General Manager of the Midwest Division and General Manager of the U.S. National Account Division, where he drove growth from $840 million to more than $1 billion in just five years.
“It is a privilege to take on this expanded role and to lead Zing Zang at this exciting time,” said Mr. Albertson. “NexPhase’s vision and support have been instrumental to Zing Zang’s success, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with them, our Board, and our exceptional management team to build upon the Company’s long history of success.”
Zing Zang has also named Steve Crites, a 20-year industry veteran, to the newly created role of VP of Sales where he will oversee all of Zing Zang’s sales regions and national accounts. Mr. Crites previously led sales in Zing Zang’s Western Region, and joined the Company earlier this year following success as a General Manager for Pernod Ricard USA.
John Esposito, a member of Zing Zang’s Board of Directors and veteran spirits executive added, “I am excited for Zing Zang’s future and believe that Brent and Steve are the ideal leaders to continue the Company’s track record of growth and category innovation. It has been rewarding to work with NexPhase, an experienced and proven investor in the consumer products space, and this high-caliber management team, to disrupt the non-alcoholic cocktail mixer market by delivering high-quality, premium products at an affordable price point.” Mr. Esposito also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of WhistlePig and The Real McCoy Rum and formerly served as CEO of High West Distillery.
About Zing Zang
Zing ZangTM is the leading and fastest growing non-alcoholic cocktail mix brand in the U.S. The Company markets a complete line of premium-quality mixers including the #1 Bloody Mary Mix in the U.S. and an all-natural line-up of Margarita, Sweet & Sour, Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada mixes which contain no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives and no artificial ingredients. Zing Zang’s award winning cocktail mixes are available nation-wide in over 200,000 retail and on-premise locations. The Company was founded in 1997 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, please visit www.zingzang.com.
About NexPhase Capital
NexPhase Capital (“NPC”) is a thematic and operationally-focused private equity firm that invests in lower middle market growth-oriented companies within three distinct sectors: consumer, healthcare, and software & services. The firm partners with founder-owned companies that have reached a growth inflection point and are seeking a value-add partner to help navigate the company’s “next phase.” The NPC team has extensive industry and operational experience and NPC’s partners have invested together for nearly a decade. The firm targets control equity investments between $25 million and $75 million. NexPhase was formed in 2016 by the former principals of Moelis Capital Partners and advises $1.2 billion of private equity capital. For more information, please visit www.NexPhase.com.