Second A-B Marketing Exec Now On Leave

Anheuser-Busch said it had placed on leave two executives who oversaw a Bud Light collaboration with a transgender activist, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, had come under fire from some customers and media outlets over the company’s decision to send a personalized Bud Light can to transgender activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney as part of a promotion for the beer brand’s March Madness contest.

Heinerscheid and her boss Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, took leaves of absence, the company said on Sunday.

“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support,” an Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman said in an email. “Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.”

The decision to take a leave wasn’t voluntary, according to people familiar with the matter. AB InBev named another executive to replace Heinerscheid.

Mulvaney had posted a video of herself drinking Bud Light and calling the personalized can—which had her face on it—“possibly the best gift ever” in celebration of the first anniversary of her gender transition. The deal prompted a movement on social media earlier this month to boycott Bud Light, and musician Kid Rock posted a video on Twitter in which he shot cases of Bud Light with a rifle. 

Amid the backlash, the company said it supported the partnership with Mulvaney, saying it works with hundreds of influencers to help its brands connect with different demographics.  

Blake, who oversees marketing for Budweiser and Bud Light, has worked at Anheuser-Busch for nearly nine years. The company didn’t announce a replacement for Mr. Blake.

The brewer said Friday that Todd Allen, most recently global vice president of Budweiser, would take over Heinerscheid’s role. 

Heinerscheid, age 39, was promoted to the lead marketing role at Bud Light last June, becoming the first woman in that job in the brand’s four-decade history. She was named in September to the magazine Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list, and oversaw Bud Light’s Super Bowl ad this year.