On Monday, Anheuser-Busch announced chief executive officer Brendan Whitworth will leave his post at the end of the month after five years in the role. He is departing the company to take on the position of CEO at luxury gym chain Equinox.
Whitworth joined Anheuser-Busch in 2013 and was named CEO in July 2021. According to the release, his successor will be announced in “due course,” and Michel Doukeris, the current CEO of AB InBev will take over Whitworth’s responsibilities in the interim.
Whitworth’s tenure will likely be most remembered by the controversy surrounding a March Madness campaign for But Light with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The social media partnership, first posted in April 2023, incited a boycott of Bud Light that resulted in a major ding in sales. And Whitworth’s wishwashy response to the situation stirred up even more backlash for the brand. In the fallout, Bud Light lost its reigning spot as the most popular beer in the country, first giving up the crown to Modelo in 2023 and now trailing the new best-selling beer, Michelob Ultra, as of 2025.
In a major pivot from beer, Whitworth will now sink his teeth into the wellness and exercise industry. Equinox is a subscription-based, premium fitness club with locations in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.
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