Marshall Farrer

Executive Chairman, Brownforman

Search every verified Marshall Farrer interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a January 2017 interview with TRBusiness, Marshall Farrer, then Brown-Forman's VP and Managing Director of Global Travel Retail, discussed the company's performance and strategy. He described 2016 as a challenging year for the travel retail industry, citing declines for the first time since 2009 due to currency devaluations in Russia and Brazil. Farrer noted that Brown-Forman experienced slight declines but outperformed the total spirits category, though results fell short of the company's ambitions. Farrer also outlined upcoming product launches for 2017, including three newly acquired single malt Scotch brands—BenRiach, Glendronach, and Glenglassaugh—each with its own distillery and new to travel retail. He mentioned the introduction of a new Irish whiskey called Flane, based at Slane Castle, and the expanded rollout of Old Forester, the company's founding bourbon, into more European airports following a successful test. Reflecting on Brown-Forman's 20 years in travel retail, Farrer highlighted Jack Daniel's growth from the 20th to the second-largest spirits trademark in the channel and Woodford Reserve's position as the number one super-premium bourbon. He expressed optimism for 2017, citing stabilization in Russia and Brazil and stronger performance in the Americas and Europe.