New EVP Brings People-First Leadership Style and Market Expertise to Minnesota
May 19, 2025 – Breakthru Beverage Group, one of the United States’ leading beverage distributors and the largest broker in Canada, representing a portfolio of premier wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic brands, today announces the appointment of Calen Wells as Executive Vice President, Minnesota. A 20-year Breakthru veteran, Wells most recently served as Vice President of Trade Development in Nevada, bringing deep industry expertise and a track record of high-performance leadership across multiple markets to the role.
“Calen brings a powerful combination of industry expertise, proven ability to drive execution, and people-first leadership—an ideal mix for our growing Minnesota business,” said Julian Burzynski, Chief Operating Officer at Breakthru Beverage Group. “He embraces our winning approach: harnessing the strengths of our people, data and analytics, and operational excellence to deliver for our partners. I’m confident he’s the right leader to take our Minnesota business to the next level.”
Wells succeeds Derek Holmes, who is retiring after a remarkable 35-year career, including 17 years with Breakthru. Holmes played a critical role in reinforcing the Minnesota business following the Breakthru–JJ Taylor merger in 2022, helping to expand the supplier portfolio, bolster the operations capabilities, and strengthen the company’s regional presence.
Over his two decades with Breakthru, Wells has held a range of leadership roles across several of the company’s markets. He began his career in Nevada as a Merchandiser and Sales Consultant before relocating to Wisconsin, where he served as Field Sales Manager, Key Account Manager, and Director of Sales. During that time, he played an integral role in several key supplier acquisitions and was instrumental in supporting the consolidation of the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio. Wells later returned to Nevada as Vice President of Sales Reno, leading the team to consistently deliver strong results.
“Breakthru Minnesota has a strong foundation and an incredible team, and I’m honored to build on that as we drive the business forward,” said Wells. “Derek has set a high standard and stepping into this role is a tremendous opportunity—especially in a market like Minnesota, which is ripe for growth. With the team, capabilities, and resources that we have in place, I am confident we’ll continue to accelerate our performance and deliver outstanding results for our partners.”
About Breakthru Beverage Group
Breakthru Beverage Group is one of the leading beverage wholesalers in the United States and the largest broker in Canada, representing a portfolio of premier spirits, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic brands. Breakthru is family-owned and operates in 16 markets with more than $8.6 billion in annual sales and a team of nearly 10,000 dedicated associates. The company delivers world-renowned beverage brands to the doorsteps of North America’s retail, convenience, bar, and restaurant businesses, and has been named a “U.S. Best Managed Company” for four years in a row. For more information, visit www.BreakthruBev.com.
