core sector communique

BEAM APPOINTS NICHOLAS FINK SVP, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Joins Executive Leadership Team for the Premium Spirits Company Deerfield, Ill. - May 10, 2012 - Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM) today announced the appointment of Nicholas Fink to the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Fink will lead all strategic planning and corporate development initiatives for the multi-billion global premium spirits company. "With his extensive breadth of experience and proven leadership in key roles, Nick Fink will be a tremendous addition to our executive leadership team at Beam," said Matt Shattock, Beam president and chief executive officer. "As we continue to drive our growth strategy and deliver business performance that outperforms the market, Nick is absolutely the right individual to lead our short- and long-term strategy and corporate development initiatives." Fink has held a number of strategic business and commercial positions at Beam since joining the company in 2006, including his most recent position as Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development in which he led the company's acquisition of Pinnacle Vodka. He also has served as Managing Director Beam Canada (2010 - 2011), Sr. Brand Director Courvoisier and Fortified Wines (2009 - 2010); and Associate General Counsel (2006 - 2009), a position in which he helped negotiate key partnerships, alliances and transactions. Prior to joining Beam, Fink was a partner in the Corporate Department of the law firm of Bell, Boyd & Lloyd (now K&L Gates), where he concentrated his practice in mergers and acquisitions, public financing, private equity and venture capital, and general corporate counseling. Fink received his Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree from the Institut d'Etudes des Relations Internationales, in Paris, France. About Beam Inc. As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, EFFEN Vodka, Pucker Flavored Vodka, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC, DeKuyper Cordials, and Skinnygirl Cocktails. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,200 passionate associates worldwide generated 2011 sales of $2.8 billion, volume of 34 million 9-liter cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.