Hall of Fame

One of the latest American whiskey industry legend to join the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame is part of Kentucky’s legacy. His grandfather and namesake, George Garvin Brown, founded Brown-Forman in 1870 – the company that would go on to become one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the industry. Although Garvin and his brother spent their childhood in Montreal, their mother’s hometown, they would spend the summers at their grandmother’s farm in Louisville, Kentucky.

After undertaking a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in political science, Garvin worked in New York at Parliamentarians for Global Action before taking a step towards the family business. He knew he wanted to work in business, and, after gaining his MBA from London Business School in 2001, Garvin fully embraced life as part of Brown-Forman.

Upon his return to the fold in 2001, Garvin began working as a business analyst, then in 2002 became director to the office of the CEO. After two years in that role, he spent four years as vice president – Jack Daniel’s brand director for Europe and Africa, and two years as senior vice president – managing director of Western Europe and Africa. It was at this point, in 2007, that he took on his greatest role: as chairman of the board of directors for Brown-Forman. In this position, Garvin helped to create a ‘family engagement’ committee, which has helped to avoid conflicts that have been the downfall of other family-owned firms. He remained in the role for almost 14 years, before stepping down in July 2021.