Japanese CEO who oversaw whisky empire out. What’s next for Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami resigned after police raided his Tokyo residence.
- Nobuhiro Torii assumed leadership following Niinami's abrupt Sept. 2 exit.
- Niinami led the $16B Beam acquisition, expanding Suntory’s global spirits reach.
There’s been a shake up in the top ranks of one Kentucky’s biggest bourbon companies.
The CEO of Suntory, which owns Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, resigned Sept. 2 after Japanese police searched his Tokyo home for illegal cannabis supplements.
Suntory Holdings CEO Takeshi Niinami, who is one of Japan’s best-known business leaders, said he believes he is innocent but resigned for the good of the company, according to published reports. He told the Asahi newspaper he believes the supplement he purchased was legal. As of Sept. 3, Niinami has not been charged with a crime.
Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii will take over the company.
It’s unclear what this change at the top will mean for Suntory Global Spirits, formerly known as Beam Suntory, which is helmed by president and CEO Greg Hughes. Suntory Global Spirits includes Jim Beam and associated brands, Maker’s Mark, Scotch brands including Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore, and the House of Suntory’s Japanese spirits.
In response to a request for comment on what, if any, impact the change could have on the Kentucky bourbon makers, Suntory Global Spirits issued this statement: “Our strategy remains unchanged and we’ll continue to invest in building our incredible spirits brands, grounded in heritage and craftsmanship, around the world.”
Niinami oversaw tremendous growth at Suntory, including the 2014 $16 billion acquisition and integration of Beam and Maker’s Mark, which helped transform Suntory into a leader in the spirits industry. Suntory subsequently invested hundreds of millions in expansions in Kentucky.
According to The Guardian, his departure will “raise questions over the future of his strategy, launched when he became chief executive more than a decade ago, to raise Suntory’s global profile to address slowing consumption at home and counter intense international competition.”
He had been an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump’s trade wars, predicting in January that tariffs would drive up prices.
When Niinami visited Lexington in 2016, he said at the time Japan was already the fastest-growing market for Jim Beam and was poised at that time to become the first largest export market.
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
