AB InBev's North American CEO Departs for Equinox
Brendan Whitworth will leave Anheuser-Busch InBev at the end of November to join the high-end gym chain Equinox.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Beer
Anheuser-Busch InBev announced that Brendan Whitworth, president of its North American Zone, will exit the company at the end of November. Whitworth will join Equinox, and A-B will name a new North American leader in due course.
Why it matters
Until a successor is named, A-B's North American leadership team will report to CEO Michel Doukeris, leaving the region's direction temporarily under global oversight. The timing comes as the company's U.S. beer portfolio shows sharply divergent performance.
Year-to-date through October 4, Bud Light dollar sales fell 7.8% (about $183 million) and volume fell 8.8%, while Michelob Ultra dollar sales rose 6.4% to $2.98 billion. A-B's overall off-premise dollar sales were down 0.1% to nearly $10.7 billion, and the successor for North American leadership has not been named.
The players
Anheuser-Busch InBev
The Belgium-based brewing conglomerate that owns Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Labatt, and is one of the largest beer companies in the world.
Brendan Whitworth
A longtime A-B executive who rose from chief sales officer to lead the company's North American Zone after joining in 2013.
Michel Doukeris
The chief executive of A-B InBev who will oversee North American leadership until a successor to Whitworth is named.
Equinox
A high-end fitness and wellness club chain that will employ Whitworth after his departure from A-B.
The details
Whitworth was appointed president of the North American Zone in July 2021 after joining A-B in 2013 and serving as chief sales officer. The company acquired Cutwater in 2019 and the Nütrl vodka seltzer brand in 2020 through its Canadian subsidiary Labatt.
Timeline
July 2021: Whitworth is appointed president of the North American Zone.
2019: A-B acquires Cutwater.
2020: A-B acquires Nütrl vodka seltzer.
October 4, 2026: Circana sales data cutoff for year-to-date figures.
End of November 2026: Whitworth exits A-B to join Equinox.
Market Landscape
The divergence between Bud Light's continued slide and Michelob Ultra's growth extends the share shift that followed Bud Light's 2023 marketing controversy, as tracked by Circana retail data. The leadership change arrives as A-B seeks to stabilize its core U.S. beer lineup against rising premium light-beer competitors.
Shoppers may notice continued shifts on store shelves as Michelob Ultra gains ground while Bud Light sales decline. Price and availability changes for the brands are not addressed in the announcement.
The takeaway
Sales data show consumers moving between major beer brands, so a leadership change at A-B could shape how the company responds in the coming months. Watch for the naming of Whitworth's successor to see the company's next direction.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Beer, where the brewing industry's leadership and sales shifts are tracked.
