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BROWN FORMAN CORP (BF-B) Business

Verbatim Item 1 Business section from BROWN FORMAN CORP's latest 10-K. Filing date: 2026-06-12. Accession: 0000014693-26-000024.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 1 Business text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

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Item 1. Business

Overview

Brown-Forman Corporation (the “Company,” “Brown-Forman,” “we,” “us,” or “our” below) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1933, successor to a business founded in 1870 as a partnership and later incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1901. We primarily manufacture, distill, bottle, import, export, market, and sell a wide variety of beverage alcohol products under recognized brands. We employ approximately 4,900 people (excluding individuals who work on a part-time or temporary basis) on six continents, including approximately 1,900 people in the United States (approximately 7% of whom are represented by a union) and 700 people in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, home of our world headquarters. According to International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR), we are the largest American-owned premium-plus spirits company. We are a “controlled company” under New York Stock Exchange rules because the Brown family owns more than 50% of our voting stock.

For a discussion of recent developments, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Executive Summary.”

Brands

Beginning in 1870 with Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky – our founding brand – and spanning the generations since, we have built a portfolio of more than 40 spirit and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brands that includes some of the best-known and most loved trademarks in our industry. The most important and iconic brand in our portfolio is Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, the #1 selling American whiskey in the world.1 Within the Jack Daniel’s portfolio, Jack Daniel’s 14-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey took home honors for World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Bonded won the award for Best Tennessee Whiskey (No Age Statement) at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. Our premium bourbon, Old Forester, was recognized by the San Francisco Spirits Competition in 2026, where both Old Forester 1870 Original Batch and Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond won Double Gold (the highest honor).

1IWSR 2025 Data.

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Principal Brands
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskeyel Jimador New Mix RTD
Jack Daniel’s RTD1el Jimador Tequilas4
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee HoneyHerradura Tequilas5
Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee WhiskeyOld Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee AppleOld Forester Whiskey Row Series
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee BlackberryOld Forester Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee FireDiplomático Rums5
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Collection2Gin Mare5
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Series3Chambord Liqueur
Jack Daniel’s Sinatra SelectThe Glendronach Single Malt Scotch Whiskies5
Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Tennessee WhiskeyBenriach Single Malt Scotch Whiskies5
Jack Daniel’s American Single MaltGlenglassaugh Single Malt Scotch Whiskies5
Jack Daniel’s 14-Year-Old Tennessee WhiskeyFords Gin
Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old Tennessee WhiskeyKing of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Kentucky BourbonSlane Irish Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Rye Whiskey
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked
1Jack Daniel’s RTD includes Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Jack Daniel’s Double Jack, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails, and other malt- and spirit-based Jack Daniel’s RTDs.
2The Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Collection includes Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel - Barrel Proof Rye, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye, and other Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel special-release expressions.
3The Jack Daniel’s Bonded Series includes Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Rye, and Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey.
4el Jimador Tequilas comprise all full-strength expressions of el Jimador.
5Comprises all expressions of this brand.

See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Fiscal 2026 Brand Highlights” for brand performance details.

Our vision in marketing is to be the best brand builders in the industry. We build our portfolio by investing in platforms that keep us deeply connected to our consumers and help us relentlessly forge the world's most authentic, admired, and enduring spirits brands. These platforms cover a wide spectrum of activities, including media advertising (TV, radio, print, outdoor, digital, and social), consumer and trade promotions, sponsorships, and visitors’ center programs at our distilleries. We aim to grow our sales and profits by consistently delivering responsible marketing programs that are bold in creativity, driving brand recognition, brand trial, brand loyalty, and, ultimately, consumer demand around the world.

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Markets

We sell our products in over 170 countries. The United States, our most important market, accounted for 42% of our net sales in fiscal 2026, and the other 58% were outside of the United States. The table below shows the percentage of total reported net sales for our top markets in our three most recent fiscal years:

Percentage of Total Reported Net Sales by Geographic Area
Year ended April 30,
202420252026
United States45%44%42%
Mexico7%7%8%
Germany6%6%6%
Australia5%5%5%
United Kingdom4%4%4%
Other32%33%35%
TOTAL100%100%100%
Note: Totals may differ due to rounding

For details about net sales in our top markets, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Fiscal 2026 Market Highlights.” For details about our reportable segment and for additional geographic information about net sales and long-lived assets, see Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” For details on risks related to our global operations, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Distribution Network and Customers

Our distribution network, or our “route to consumer” (RTC), varies depending on (a) the laws and regulatory framework for trade in beverage alcohol by market, (b) our assessment of a market’s long-term attractiveness and competitive dynamics, (c) the relative profitability of distribution options available to us, (d) the structure of the retail and wholesale trade in a market, and (e) our portfolio’s development stage in a market. As these factors change, we evaluate our RTC strategy and, from time to time, adapt our model.

In the United States, which generally prohibits spirits manufacturers from selling their products directly to consumers, we sell our products either to distributors or to state governments (in states that directly control alcohol sales) that then sell to retail customers and consumers.

Outside the United States, we use a variety of RTC models, which can be grouped into three categories: owned distribution, partner, and government-controlled markets. We own and operate distribution companies for Australia, Belgium and Luxembourg, Brazil, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. In these owned-distribution markets, and in a large portion of the Travel Retail channel, we sell our products directly to retailers or wholesalers. In many other markets, we rely on third parties to distribute our brands, generally under fixed-term distribution contracts. In Canada, we sell our products to provincial governments.

We believe that our customer relationships are good and that our exposure to concentrations of credit risk is limited due to the diverse geographic areas covered by our operations and our thorough evaluation of each customer. In fiscal 2026, our largest customer accounted for approximately 10% of our consolidated net sales. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2026.

Seasonality

Holiday buying makes the fourth calendar quarter (generally our third fiscal quarter) the peak season for our business. Approximately 28%, 29%, and 30% of our reported net sales for fiscal 2024, fiscal 2025, and fiscal 2026, respectively, were in the fourth calendar quarter.

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Competition

Trade information indicates that we are one of the largest global suppliers of premium spirits. According to IWSR, for calendar year 2025, the ten largest global spirits companies controlled over 20% of the total spirits volume sold around the world. While we believe that the overall market environment offers considerable growth opportunities for us, our industry is, and will remain, highly competitive. We compete against many global, regional, and local brands in a variety of categories of beverage alcohol, but our brands compete primarily in the industry’s premium-and-above price points. Our competitors include major global spirits companies, such as Bacardi Limited, Becle S.A.B. de C.V., Davide Campari-Milano N.V., Diageo PLC, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Pernod Ricard SA, Rémy Cointreau, and Suntory Global Spirits. In addition, particularly in the United States, we compete with national companies and craft spirit brands.

Brand recognition, brand provenance, quality of product and packaging, availability, flavor profile, and price affect consumers’ choices among competing brands in our industry. Other factors also influence consumers, including advertising, promotions, merchandising at the point of sale, expert or celebrity endorsement, social media and word of mouth, and the timing and relevance of new product introductions. Although some competitors have substantially greater resources than we do, we believe that our competitive position is strong, particularly as it relates to brand awareness, quality, availability, and relevance of new product introductions.

Ingredients and Other Supplies

The principal raw materials used in manufacturing and packaging our distilled spirits, liqueurs, and RTD products are shown in the table below.

Principal Raw Materials
Distilled SpiritsLiqueursRTD ProductsPackaging
AgaveFlavoringsCarbon dioxideAluminum cans
BarleyNeutral spiritsFlavoringsCartons
CornSugarMaltClosures
Malted barleyWaterNeutral spiritsGlass bottles
MolassesWhiskeySugarLabels
RyeWineTequilaPET1 bottles
SugarWater
WaterWhiskey
Wood

1Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a polymer used in non-glass containers.

None of these raw materials are currently in short supply, but shortages could occur in the future. From time to time, our agricultural ingredients (agave, barley, corn, malted barley, molasses, rye, sugar, and wood) could be adversely affected by weather and other forces out of our control that might constrain supply or reduce our inventory below desired levels for optimum production.

Whiskeys, certain tequilas, rums, and some other distilled spirits must be aged. Because we must produce these distilled spirits years in advance to meet projected future demand, our inventories of these products may be larger in relation to sales and total assets than in many other businesses.

For details on risks related to the unavailability of raw materials and the inherent uncertainty in forecasting supply and demand, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Intellectual Property

Our intellectual property includes trademarks, copyrights, proprietary packaging and trade dress, proprietary manufacturing technologies, know-how, and patents. Our intellectual property, especially our trademarks, is essential to our business. We register our trademarks broadly around the world, focusing primarily on where we sell or expect to sell our products. We protect our intellectual property rights vigorously but fairly. We have licensed some of our trademarks to third parties for use with services or on products other than alcoholic beverages, which we believe enhances the awareness and protection of our brands. Depending on the jurisdiction, trademarks are valid as long as they are in use and/or their registrations are properly maintained. We also have various licenses and distribution agreements for the production, sale, and marketing of our products, and for the sale and marketing of products of others. These licenses and distribution agreements have varying terms and durations.

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For details on risks related to the protection of our intellectual property, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” For details on our most important brands, see “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Fiscal 2026 Brand Highlights.”

Regulatory Environment

Federal, state, local, and foreign authorities regulate how we produce, store, transport, distribute, market, and sell our products. Some countries and local jurisdictions prohibit or restrict the marketing or sale of distilled spirits in whole or in part.

In the United States, at the federal level, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury regulates the spirits and wine industry with respect to the production, blending, bottling, labeling, advertising, sales, and transportation of beverage alcohol. Similar regulatory regimes exist at the state level and in most non-U.S. jurisdictions where we sell our products. In addition, beverage alcohol products are subject to customs duties, excise taxes, and/or sales taxes in many countries, including taxation at the federal, state, and local level in the United States.

Many countries set their own distilling and maturation requirements. For example, under U.S. federal and state regulations, bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys must be aged in new, charred oak barrels; we typically age our whiskeys at least three years. Mexican authorities regulate the production and bottling of tequilas; they mandate minimum aging periods for extra añejo (three years), añejo (one year), and reposado (two months). Irish whiskey must be matured at least three years in a wood cask, such as oak, on the island of Ireland. Scotch whisky must be matured in oak casks for at least three years in Scotland. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Our operations are also subject to various environmental protection statutes and regulations, and our policy is to comply with them. Complying with these statutes and regulations has not materially impacted our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position, and is not expected to have a material impact during fiscal 2027.

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Integrated Strategy and Performance

For more than 155 years, Brown-Forman and the Brown family have been committed to driving sustainable growth and building exceptional spirits brands responsibly. We believe Brown-Forman’s status as a publicly traded, family-controlled company has contributed to this growth and our ability to create long-term value for all stockholders. The image on the left illustrates our highest ambition, “Nothing Better in the Market,” surrounded by the values that have guided us for decades: integrity, respect, trust, teamwork, and excellence. In addition to these guiding principles, our success depends on several strategic priorities, as illustrated in the image on the right: the quality of the brands within our portfolio, our geographic reach, the talent and diversity of our people, and the return on our investments. Moreover, taking an integrated approach means that many aspects of our company contribute to this value creation and are fundamental to our strategy, including our spirit of commitment to environmental sustainability, alcohol and marketing responsibility, culture and inclusion, and doing our part in the communities in which we live and work.

In recent years, we faced a challenging, volatile environment. Our employees’ unique mix of agility, resilience, energy, and collaboration enabled us to succeed despite these challenges. As we move toward a reimagined future with renewed enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead, our core values and ambition to deliver “Nothing Better in the Market” will continue to guide our decisions and actions. We believe we are well positioned to navigate the ever-changing landscape. We will make bold moves with a commitment to improve continuously as we work together to deliver sustained long-term growth.

This Integrated Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2026, presents not only our financial performance but also our environmental, social, and governance strategies, commitments, and results. It provides a holistic view of Brown-Forman, our culture, our strategic approach to our business, and how we achieve results.

Portfolio and Responsibility

We seek to build brands and create stockholder value responsibly by delivering strong, sustainable growth, solid margins, and high returns on invested capital. We focus on building brands that can be meaningful for our company and our legal-drinking-age consumers (consumers) over the longer term. We aim to grow our premium spirits portfolio both organically and through innovation. Opportunistically and thoughtfully, we also consider acquisitions and partnerships that will enhance our capacity to deliver meaningful growth, improve margins, and create stockholder value.

We strive to grow our brands and enhance consumers’ experience with them. Even as we do so, we remain committed to marketing our brands responsibly and promoting responsible drinking. Regulation of our industry is not new, and external interest from the World Health Organization and other health entities has grown over time. We uphold high standards of self-regulation by adhering to industry guidelines on responsible marketing and advertising. We promote alcohol responsibility both independently and with industry organizations, such as the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (responsibility.org) in the United States, the Portman Group in the United Kingdom, DrinkWise in Australia, and FISAC in Mexico.

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The Jack Daniel’s family of brands, led by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey (JDTW), is our most valuable asset – the engine of our overall financial performance and the foundation of our leadership position in the American whiskey category.1 We continually strive to strengthen the brand’s leadership position, and will work steadfastly to keep JDTW relevant to consumers worldwide. We will also pursue opportunities to grow the Jack Daniel’s family of brands across markets, premium-and-above price points, channels, and consumer groups. Product innovation continues to contribute meaningfully to our performance. Here are some of the Jack Daniel's expressions that have made new "friends of Jack" over the last 15 years: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey (2011); Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire (2015); Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple (2019); Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey (2021); Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey and Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey (2022); Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye - Tennessee Rye Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt, and Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey (2023); Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel - Barrel Proof Rye (2024); Jack Daniel’s 14-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel, and our most recent launch, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry (2025). Individually and collectively, these expressions add great value to the Company and to our consumers around the world.

In addition to the leadership of our Jack Daniel’s family of brands, we expect strong worldwide growth from our other whiskey brands, particularly Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. Woodford Reserve is the leading super-premium American whiskey globally,1 growing volumes at a strong double-digit compound annual growth rate since the brand was introduced over 25 years ago. Woodford Reserve sold over 1.9 million nine-liter cases during fiscal 2026. We believe the brand is poised for continued growth as the bourbon category continues to grow around the world. Old Forester has continued its return to prominence in the United States and in select international markets. Innovation has played an important role in the premiumization of both of these brands, including the success of high-end expressions such as Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked, and the Old Forester Whiskey Row Series.

Outside of our American whiskey brands, we believe our portfolio remains well positioned in other high-growth categories, with meaningful premium brands and a focus on accelerating our super-premium portfolio. Our tequila portfolio is led by two brands steeped in Mexican heritage, Herradura and el Jimador. We remain committed to the growth of our tequila business in the United States and the long-term growth prospects for the category globally. We believe that our Scotch whiskies, The Glendronach, Benriach, and Glenglassaugh, and our Irish whiskey, Slane, are well positioned in their respective categories. We expect these brands to contribute meaningfully over the longer term. In addition, the acquisitions of Gin Mare (2022) and Diplomático (2023) provide us with leadership positions in the super-premium-and-above gin and rum categories, respectively, and we look to grow these brands globally.

Our RTD portfolio continues to evolve globally. We continue to invest in the global expansion of our established RTD brands, most notably New Mix, which has demonstrated sustained leadership in Mexico and is now being introduced to select markets in the United States. This expansion reflects our broader desire to leverage our tequila expertise and meet growing consumer demand for authentic, spirit-based cocktails. Since 2021, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails in the United States have been produced, sold, and distributed under our relationship with Pabst Brewing Company. In March 2026, we jointly announced a mutual agreement to conclude that partnership, and with that we will assume management of supply, sales, marketing, and distribution of Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails effective July 7, 2026.

We appreciate the power of our brands to enrich the experience of life, and we believe it is our duty to ensure that our products are marketed with deep respect for our consumers. Our mission for alcohol responsibility is to empower mindful choices around beverage alcohol. We launched the Pause campaign in 2019. Pause is Brown-Forman’s driving effort to encourage mindful choices. In 2022, we launched our 2030 Alcohol Responsibility strategy (a) to prioritize strategic programs, partnerships, in-market tools, and resources; and (b) to continue empowering our employees and business partners. We execute our 2030 Alcohol Responsibility strategy through the lens of our Pause campaign to showcase the importance of alcohol responsibility and inspire action among our consumers, colleagues, and business partners.

Geography

The United States remains our largest market, and growth in this market is important to our long-term success. We expect to foster this growth by focusing on the premium and super-premium-plus spirits categories, continuing product and packaging innovation, and building brands within growing consumer segments. This includes increased emphasis on digital marketing and the growth of our e-commerce capabilities to engage consumers across all touchpoints.

In fiscal 2026, we began implementing the most significant evolution of our U.S. distribution network in over 60 years. This multi-year transformation involved a comprehensive review of open and control states2, resulting in new distributor

1IWSR 2025 data.

2Control states refer to the 18 state-managed markets in the United States where government agencies oversee the wholesale or retail distribution of distilled spirits.

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organizations across 25 markets. In fiscal 2026, we brought on new distributors in 14 open states. In April 2026, we announced the realignment of 11 control states to new distributor organizations, effective June 1, 2026. We believe these relationships will enhance our commercial execution and operational excellence to drive long-term growth.

Outside the United States, our improved routes to consumers continue to increase our competitiveness. Owned distribution is an important part of our strategic growth and enables us to have a more direct connection with customers and consumers. In May 2025, we launched our own distribution company in Italy.

People, Culture, Ethics, and Compliance

As we work to increase our brands’ relevance and appeal to diverse consumer groups around the world, we believe a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and mindsets within our own workforce is essential. Our strategy is to embed inclusion into everything we do. We prioritize initiatives that help us build a workforce that reflects our global consumers, create a culture of inclusion, retain and expand our consumer base, and be a good neighbor in our communities. We believe this will make us a better employer, help us build iconic brands, and make us a more sustainable business.

One of the main drivers of our inclusive culture is the continued growth and leadership of our ten Employee Resources Groups (ERGs), which are open to all employees. We believe ERGs are instrumental in enriching our company’s culture and our employees’ experience by supporting development and engagement of our diverse workforce; driving cultural awareness and competency across the organization; enabling authentic engagement with our consumers; and creating spaces for our employees and their allies to connect with, support, and advocate for one another.

Our core values of integrity, respect, trust, teamwork, and excellence form the foundation of our ethics and compliance program. “Values Drive Decisions” is the key theme of this program, and we use it to teach our employees to rely on our values when faced with a difficult decision and to “speak up” if they believe they, a colleague, or a business partner may have violated the law, our Code of Conduct, or company policy. In countries where we operate, we offer a third-party service to employees and others who choose to “speak up” anonymously. As we train our managers, we reinforce our commitment to non-retaliation and maintaining a “speak up” culture.

We convey our compliance expectations to employees via our Code of Conduct, and our employees certify annually that they will comply with it and report potential violations. The Code of Conduct details our expectations with respect to different risks scenarios; provides links to Q&As, policies, and training; and gives contact details for subject-matter experts. We refresh our Code of Conduct and certification annually and make it available in 13 languages.

Investment and Sustainability

For over a century and a half, we have learned that long-term success requires investment and a mindset of sustainability. We understand the need to invest in our brands, global supply chain facilities, homeplace and visitor centers, and aging inventory. We also understand the importance of investing in our people, our communities, and the environment. We recognize that climate change is a business issue with risks and opportunities. As such, we are committed to actions that will ensure the long-term health of the planet and our business. In fiscal 2025, we revised our 2030 Sustainability Strategy to account for our current organization and to align our efforts with industry best practices and the most current climate science. Our goals broaden our focus beyond business operations to include our supply chain, where the majority of our environmental footprint resides. With this evolving strategy, we have a roadmap for continued progress over the next quarter-century.

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Our continued investments in our sustainability strategy underscore our long-term focus:

•Byproducts to Energy: In fiscal 2026, the anaerobic digester project at the Jack Daniel Distillery became operational and is converting a portion of the distillery byproducts to renewable energy and fertilizer.

•Water Stewardship: In fiscal 2026, we continued our work with Waterplan to refine the measurement of water- related risk at our production facilities and to identify opportunities to improve the recharge rate of the aquifer that our Casa Herradura facility depends on.

•Sustainable Agriculture: In fiscal 2025, we committed to a five-year program to expand the use of regenerative agriculture practices by Kentucky corn farmers led by Precision Conservation Management and coordinated by the Kentucky Distillers Association.

•Sustainable Forestry: In fiscal 2025, a coalition of state forestry associations in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, supported by Brown-Forman, announced that they received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to engage with family forest landowners on sustainable management practices to improve white oak forests in the Cumberland Plateau.

Community

We strive to be a responsible and caring corporate citizen and invest in the communities where our employees live and work. We encourage employees to participate in philanthropic outreach efforts through company-led volunteer projects and nonprofit board service. This employee engagement, as well as our philanthropic contributions, further promote Brown-Forman’s unique culture and commitment to community.

We continue to expand our community engagement in Brown-Forman global office locations, allowing those employees closest to the needs of their communities to decide how to invest their volunteer time and charitable-giving resources. We leverage our key community relations partners to stay informed of collaborative opportunities and to shape our charitable-giving strategy to meet the essential needs of the communities we call home. We created the Brown-Forman Foundation (the Foundation) in fiscal 2018 to help fund our ongoing philanthropic endeavors, with an emphasis on the communities surrounding Brown-Forman’s headquarters in Louisville, KY. The Foundation’s resources provide a consistent source of support for charitable giving independent of our annual earnings. We work to partner with organizations that support our key focus areas: celebrate arts and culture, champion lifelong learning, and cultivate community. As part of our commitment to our neighbors, the Foundation made a 10-year, $50 million commitment to five organizations in west Louisville in fiscal 2022, which is the largest investment in its history. Our partner organizations include AMPED, the Louisville Central Community Center, the Louisville Urban League, Simmons College of Kentucky, and the West End School. Together, these organizations seek to advance educational opportunities from early childhood through adult learning.

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In summary, we believe that having a long-term-focused, committed, and engaged stockholder base, anchored by the Brown family, gives us a distinct strategic advantage, particularly in a business with multi-generational brands and aged products. We are committed to continually improving our performance and acting upon our deeply held values. Recognizing the strong cash-generating capacity and capital efficiency of our business, we will continue to pursue top-tier stockholder return through stockholder-friendly capital allocation and socially and environmentally conscious investments to fuel long-term growth.

Human Capital Resources

Overview

At Brown-Forman, our values-based culture is the foundation of our long-term stewardship. We rely on a diverse global team of 4,900 dedicated employees (excluding individuals who work on a part-time or temporary basis) to produce, market, and distribute our brands with precision. With 66% of our workforce in salaried roles and 34% in hourly production roles, we focus on integrated talent management across our primary locations in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. In fiscal 2026, we also expanded the presence of our operational hubs in India, Mexico, and Poland. Our high engagement scores and low voluntary attrition rates reflect our commitment to a safe and supportive environment, through which we seek to support the stability of our supply chain and the integrity of our global commercial operations.

Total Rewards

To attract and retain premium talent, Brown-Forman maintains a globally consistent yet locally competitive Total Rewards framework. We refresh our market data annually, focusing on both locally relevant benefits and compensation. We price roles based on robust third-party salary surveys specific to each employee's geography, function, and level. Beyond initial market pricing, we proactively monitor internal pay parity during annual cycles and talent acquisition windows. This disciplined approach seeks to ensure that our compensation remains competitive with the external market while upholding our internal standards of fairness and equity.

Talent Development

We cultivate a high-performance culture by aligning individual development with our strategic business objectives. Through robust succession planning and a diverse array of experiential learning opportunities—including global project roles and technical upskilling—we aim to cultivate talent that remains agile. Our strategy focuses on optimizing our existing human capital; we facilitate internal career pathways that allow long-tenured employees to acquire new competencies in emerging areas of our business. By tracking and analyzing internal movement data, we validate that our development programs provide the necessary scale and depth to support our global expansion.

Culture & Inclusion

Brown-Forman’s inclusion strategy is a core component of our talent management and brand-building efforts. We believe that an inclusive environment is essential for attracting elite talent and fostering the innovative thinking required for global growth. In fiscal 2026, we continued to reinforce this commitment by focusing on four critical pillars: Colleagues, Culture, Consumers, and Community. This approach seeks to ensure our workforce remains representative of our global consumer base, which allows us to maintain deep, authentic connections with the markets in which we operate.

Workforce Stability

Brown-Forman continues to benefit from low voluntary turnover among salaried employees, a trend consistent with our historical performance. We regularly evaluate attrition through a dual lens of quantitative data and qualitative feedback to ensure our retention strategies remain aligned with employee expectations. This ongoing global monitoring enables us to identify and respond to talent trends early, supporting the continued engagement and stability of our workforce across all geographic regions.

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Executive Officers

Information about Our Executive Officers

The following persons served as executive officers as of June 12, 2026:

NameAgePrincipal Occupation and Business Experience
Lawson E. Whiting57President and Chief Executive Officer since January 2019. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2017 to December 2018. Executive Vice President and Chief Brands and Strategy Officer from February 2015 to September 2017. Senior Vice President and Chief Brands Officer from January 2013 to January 2015.
Michael E. Carr, Jr.46Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since May 2024. Vice President, Associate General Counsel - Regional and Corporate Development from October 2022 to April 2024. Vice President, Associate General Counsel - Europe from May 2018 to October 2022. Vice President, Managing Attorney and Assistant Corporate Secretary from September 2013 to May 2018.
Christina M. Graven55Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Office since January 2025. Senior Vice President Director, PSA/Total Rewards/Workplaces from October 2024 to January 2025. Senior Vice President Director People Strategy Analytics and Rewards from May 2023 to October 2024. Vice President Director People Strategy Analytics and Rewards from February 2022 to May 2023. Vice President Director Global Talent Management from May 2019 to February 2022. Vice President Director Global Talent Acquisition and People Development from August 2018 to May 2019. Vice President, Director, People Strategy, Acquisition, and Analytics from July 2016 to August 2018. Vice President, Director People Planning & Analytics from May 2015 to July 2016. Vice President Director Corporate Analytics from May 2012 to May 2015.
Michael A. Masick47Executive Vice President, Americas since January 2025. Executive Vice President, Emerging International from July 2024 to January 2025. Vice President Managing Director, LAR/Africa/Ukraine/CIS/Russia from August 2022 to July 2024. Vice President General Manager, Latin America from August 2020 to August 2022. Vice President Finance Director, Developed Europe and International Strategy from August 2018 to August 2020. Vice President, Director Corporate Strategy and Business Development from February 2015 to August 2018. Vice President, Director Global Business Strategy and Analysis for Jack Daniel’s from January 2013 to February 2015.
Timothy M. Nall55Executive Vice President, Chief Global Supply Chain and Technology Officer since March 2023. Senior Vice President, Chief Global Supply Chain and Technology Officer from March 2022 to March 2023. Senior Vice President, Chief Information and Advanced Analytics Officer from January 2015 to February 2022. Vice President Director Technical Services from May 2013 to December 2014.
Diane F. Nguyen55Executive Vice President Chief People Places and Communications Officer since August 2024. Vice President Human Resources Director - Global Commercial/Corporate Teams from February 2022 to August 2024. Vice President Human Resources Director, Global Commercial Organization from August 2020 to February 2022. Vice President Human Resources Director, Regions from August 2018 to August 2020. Vice President HR Director, North America Region from August 2017 to August 2018. Vice President HR Director, Global Production from January 2013 to August 2017.
Yiannis Pafilis55Executive Vice President, Europe/Africa/APAC since January 2025. Executive Vice President and President, Europe from March 2024 to January 2025. Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Germany, Czechia, Poland and Europe Commercial Strategy from September 2023 to February 2024. Vice President, Managing Director of Germany, Czechia, Poland and Europe Strategy from October 2022 to August 2023. Vice President, Managing Director of Germany, Czechia and Europe Commercial Strategy from August 2020 to September 2022. Vice President, General Manager of Germany and Czechia from September 2017 to July 2020. General Manager of Russia from July 2014 to August 2017.
James W. Peters56Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2026. Prior to joining the Company, from January 2026 to March 2026, Mr. Peters served as Executive Vice President, Enterprise Transformation of Whirlpool Corporation, a publicly traded home appliance company. Mr. Peters previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Whirlpool Corporation from August 2016 through December 2025. Mr. Peters joined Whirlpool Corporation in 2004 and, prior to his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, held various roles of increasing responsibility.

14

NameAgePrincipal Occupation and Business Experience
Crystal L. Peterson55Executive Vice President, Chief Inclusion and Global Community Relations Officer since March 2023. Senior Vice President, Chief Inclusion and Global Community Relations Officer from June 2022 to March 2023. Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer from February 2022 to June 2022. Vice President and Human Resources Director - Global Production, Diversity and Inclusion from March 2021 to January 2022. Vice President and Human Resources Director - Global Production from August 2017 to February 2021. Vice President and Human Resources Director - North America Region from May 2015 to July 2017. Human Resources Director - North America Region and Latin America Region from May 2013 to April 2015.
Jeremy J. Shepherd51Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer since January 2025. Executive Vice President, President USA & Canada from March 2023 to January 2025. Senior Vice President, President USA & Canada from July 2022 to March 2023. Vice President, General Manager for the United Kingdom & Ireland from January 2018 to July 2022. Vice President Director Midwest Division from May 2015 to December 2017. Portfolio Integration Director from September 2014 to May 2015.

Available Information

Our website address is www.brown-forman.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports are available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The information provided on our website, and any other website referenced herein, is not part of this report, and is therefore not incorporated by reference into this report or any other filing we make with the SEC, unless that information is otherwise specifically incorporated by reference.

On our website, we have posted our Code of Conduct that applies to all our directors and employees, and our Code of Ethics that applies specifically to our senior financial officers. If we amend or waive any of the provisions of our Code of Conduct or our Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, or principal accounting officer that relates to any element of the definition of “code of ethics” enumerated in Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), we intend to disclose these actions on our website. We have also posted on our website our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and Executive Committee of our Board of Directors. Copies of these materials are available free of charge by writing to our Secretary at 850 Dixie Highway, Louisville, Kentucky 40210 or emailing Secretary@b-f.com.