NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Ruben Rodriguez, the retired Bacardi Ltd chief executive officer who led the rum maker in its 2004 purchase of Grey Goose superpremium vodka, has died. He was 79.

He died May 5 in Darien, Connecticut.

In 2000, Rodriguez was named chairman and CEO of Bacardi, the world’s biggest distiller of rum and largest closely held spirits maker. He served as chairman for five years and as chief until 2003 and again from 2004 to 2005.

Rodriguez oversaw the acquisition of Grey Goose, the top- selling superpremium vodka in the US, from Sidney Frank Importing Co. The transaction was valued at more than $2 billion, according to accounts at the time by the Wall Street Journal.

He moved to Connecticut following his retirement.

In fiscal 2014, Bermudian-based Bacardi had $4.47 billion of sales less excise taxes, according to a company report. The distiller employed about 6,000 workers in 29 facilities across 16 countries, including the US, Scotland, Italy, France, Germany and Mexico. The company also makes Dewar’s blended Scotch whiskey, Bombay Sapphire gin and Martini vermouth. Bacardi was founded in Santiago, Cuba, in 1862.

Rodriguez was born April 27, 1937, in Havana, according to the spokeswoman. He attended La Salle School in Havana and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston, according to a statement on the company’s website. He became a certified public accountant and a certified internal auditor.

Before joining Bacardi, Rodriguez worked for Chesebrough-Ponds in Latin America, Europe and the Far East, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co in Australia, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand.