One of the Anheuser-Busch network's largest distributors has formalized its next leadership chapter. Hensley Beverage Company named Omar Perez President, effective August 1, 2026, capping a 13-year internal climb that took him from Corporate Controller to CFO to COO before reaching the top operating role.
Perez reports directly to CEO Andy McCain. Chairman Bob Delgado and McCain framed the move explicitly as succession planning — language that signals the Phoenix-based distributor is managing a generational transition with deliberate structure rather than reactive hiring.
The Career Track
Perez joined Hensley in 2013 and was promoted to CFO in 2017, then COO in 2024. That path — finance to operations to president — is a textbook operator-development arc for distribution businesses, where margin management, fleet logistics, and retailer relationships all intersect. His background as a CPA with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico gives him a financial-first lens on a volume-driven business that runs on route efficiency and account penetration.
For on-premise and off-premise operators in the Arizona market, leadership continuity at a distributor of Hensley's scale matters. Distributors of this tier influence shelf placement prioritization, programming dollars, new SKU introduction timelines, and sales rep coverage — all levers that affect how brands move through the three-tier system. A finance-trained president is likely to bring sharper scrutiny to promotional ROI and distribution economics as the beer category navigates continued share pressure from spirits and ready-to-drink alternatives.
What Operators Should Watch
Hensley was founded in 1955 and has built a 71-year track record inside the Anheuser-Busch system. Distributors of this tenure and scale tend to be conservative in structural change, but leadership transitions — even planned ones — often precede portfolio reviews, territory strategy adjustments, or shifts in how programming budgets are allocated across supplier brands.
For emerging beverage brands seeking distribution in the Southwest, the window around a new president's first 90 to 180 days is historically when sales teams recalibrate priorities and new brand conversations get a fresh look. Suppliers and emerging brands should be aware that Perez's operational background means pitches grounded in velocity data, margin contribution, and account-level performance metrics are likely to land better than concept-forward narratives.
Brands evaluating distribution strategy and retail readiness in competitive Southwest markets — and operators building supplier relationships across the beverage category — should note that Hensley's stated commitment to succession depth suggests organizational stability, not disruption, in the near term.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
