Prior to his four years at Pernod, Neiheisel spent seven years at Diageo working in roles across its North American distilleries. In his new role at MGP, Neiheisel will lead MGP’s Distilling Solutions business, overseeing sales strategy, customer engagement and business development. Marilyn Chen joins the company as brand director for Penelope Bourbon after serving as US brand director at Suntory Global Spirits. MGP said the four new hires are designed to strengthen the company’s commercial and marketing capabilities across its Distilling Solutions and Branded Spirits divisions. The company reported a 40% sales drop for its Distilling Solutions segment in the first quarter of 2026.