Alexander Sneen, Brown-Forman Corporation

Global Marketing Director Finlandia and Chambord

Alexander Sneen is a champion of holistic marketing communications.  He believes the brand's message needs to be carried through the line from strategic positioning right to in-store POS.  He is masterful at finding common consumer motivations among people of vastly different cultures. And Alex advocates for a collective creative development process that starts with consumer insights and then invites colleagues from multiple markets to participate.

Alex has been with Brown Forman since 2006. In his current role, he is responsible for the Global Marketing Programs which include the Finlandia Vodka Cup and Midnight Sun events, the Finnishing School, Homeplace Marketing and the Drinks Strategy. He also manages supplier relationships and the creative development of global brand building materials and his brands’ on-line presence.

He truly breaks the marketing mold by employing a process that involves team collaboration from around the world to develop break-through creative. This stands in opposition to the more common approach of creative developed in isolation. Alex's process is rooted in global consumer insight. The goal is not consensus, but candid feedback that moves and shapes ideas.

Alex has worked on two category-defying campaigns: Finlandia's "To the Life Less Ordinary" and Chambord's "Because No Reason."  The Finlandia campaign eschews the category norms of celebrity endorsement popular in vodka marketing in the US by capitalizing on the photographic genius of Pierre Winther to help shape an alternative, premium brand look, while "Because No Reason" challenges old-world luxury conventions, opting instead for odd luxury and absurd logic.

Prior to joining Brown-Forman, Alexander worked with British American Tobacco where he held various positions in the Nordics, Baltics and Italy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration.