Marketing executive behind Bud Light’s partnership with trans influencer has taken a leave of absence

• The executive behind Bud Light's partnership with a trans influencer has taken a leave of absence.
• Alissa Heinerscheid has been replaced and the Bud Light's marketing has shifted, according to reports.

The Bud Light marketing executive behind the brand's partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney has taken a leave of absence, according to reports.

Bud Light said it would replace Alissa Heinerscheid, who had been the company's vice president of marketing, with Todd Allen, the global vice president of Budweiser.

In a statement to Insider, an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson confirmed Allen's appointment and said the brand is streamlining its marketing team so that its most senior executives are more involved in all brand activities.

"These steps will help us maintain focus on the things we do best: brewing great beer for all consumers, while always making a positive impact in our communities and on our country," the spokesperson added.

That shakeup comes about a month after the marketing partnership between Bud Light and Mulvaney became public. On April 1, Mulvaney posted a video to her Instagram announcing a March Madness partnership with Bud Light. She also shared a picture of a special beer can Bud Light had sent to celebrate the anniversary of her coming out as a woman.

The video sparked controversy and calls for a boycott among anti-trans conservatives. The musician Kid Rock, and other prominent conservative celebrities, bought cases of the beer and filmed themselves destroying them in protest.

Bud Light initially stood by its partnership with Mulvaney, saying the brand "works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points."

Mulvaney herself responded to the anti-trans harassment and backlash, saying she was "an easy target" for criticism.

"It's so sad because everything I try to put out is positive," she said. "It's trying to connect with others that maybe don't understand me. It's to make people laugh, or to make a kid feel seen."