SND: You’ve set the ambitious goal of $10 billion in sales for Suntory Global Spirits by 2030. How do you plan to get there?

Niinami: First and foremost, the company will drive value as one global team and focus on key priorities including American whiskey, Japanese spirits, Scotch, Tequila, and ready-to-drink. Especially, the RTD market stands out as a fast-growing segment, with growth expected to continue globally, and by 2030 we estimate the market to reach $50 billion. We are currently the world’s No. 2 RTD company in volume, and our ambition is to become the No. 1 in the world by 2030. As a part of this ambition, we launched -196 in the U.S., the largest RTD market in the world, and will aim to further expand its footprint to other countries in the coming months.

Hughes: The investments we’ve made over the last 10 years really position us to grow our American whiskey portfolio, Japanese whisky portfolio, and our innovations like Roku gin, Haku vodka, and Legent and Ardray whiskies. In particular, we’ve invested in our brands and capacity for James B. Beam Distilling Company to keep Jim Beam the No. 1 Bourbon in the world, along with Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Booker’s, and Baker’s. Capacity expansion and brand investments are also helping to globalize Maker’s Mark, as are investments behind Yamazaki, Hakushu, and the House of Suntory brands.

SND: In what international markets will Suntory Global Spirits pursue a bigger presence moving forward?

Niinami: India, China, and emerging Asia present strong opportunities for growth. India is especially a major part of our global growth strategy given it is the largest consumer of whisky in the world, and will be extremely important for Suntory’s medium- to long-term growth. Our successful Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) whisky brand Oaksmith and the House of Suntory portfolio in India have raised our position in the market. With our advantage in quality, we can make a significant differentiation from our competitors and further develop our brands in India as we aim to join the top three in Indian whisky market share.

Hughes: This is an opportunity for us to build on the growth of Japan and the U.S. and to expand into markets like India, China, emerging Asia, and across the global prestige cities. The name change allows us to do that in that we can leverage the full global capabilities of Suntory and the strength of the Suntory brand around the world. It also supports the idea of building a prestige portfolio in key cities globally. The House of Suntory will be the flagship of our prestige portfolio as we build across those top cities.

SND: Looking back on the $16 billion purchase of Beam a decade ago, has the acquisition lived up to the expectations you had for it at that time?

Niinami: The union between Suntory and Beam has exceeded our expectations—we have made incredible progress over the last decade to transform our business and solidify our position. Suntory brought a long legacy of quality, shaped by Shinjiro Torii, who founded the company in 1899 with incredible foresight. Beam brought a strong global distribution network and a portfolio of iconic brands, including Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark.

As you can see from figures such as the growth from a $2.5 billion company to a $5.5 billion company today, with approximately 6,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, we have been so successful because of the coming together of two companies led by founding families who placed a high value on giving back to the community and respect for heritage.

One important aspect of the transformation to Suntory Global Spirits is the further unity in terms of sustainability efforts, especially those related to water. Beam Suntory has already engaged in activities like the Natural Water Sanctuary initiative that expanded from Japan to the Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark distilleries after the acquisition, aiming to recharge more water than we use for production and contribute to water conservation. With this rebranding, we will accelerate the expansion of our efforts to further contribute to water sustainability on a global scale.