Behind every beer brand you drink is an impressive team of beer professionals — brewers, barkeeps, bussers, canners, sales reps, CEOs, COOs, lab techs, interns and everyone from marketing and HR teams to warehouse and restaurant workers. “Beer professional” encapsulates a wide variety of jobs and skill sets. Breweries are constantly making moves to secure great employees and industry leaders. Oftentimes, it’s not even a beer pro, but a food or technology wiz that’s needed. Craft breweries and their suppliers and trade associations have many facets and require specialized employees. Here are a few of the big personnel headlines from the craft brewing industry in the last month plus. Send your beer pro news to [email protected].
Brewers Association hired Lacey Gautier as new VP of meetings and events
The Brewers Association (BA) recently announced the addition of Lacey Gautier as its new vice president of meetings and events. In this role, Gautier will oversee all the association’s events, conferences and competitions. This includes the marquee Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America; Great American Beer Festival; World Beer Cup and National Homebrew Competition.
“I am thrilled to join the Brewers Association team,” said Gautier. “The BA has a longstanding history of highly successful events, and I look forward to joining a team committed to curating highly transformative and exciting experiences. With the Great American Beer Festival right around the corner, I am excited to start my career with the BA during such a fun and festive time.”
Gautier is a decorated event leader with over 15 years of professional experience developing and executing events. Most recently, she was vice president of events for Informa Markets’ natural products portfolio. There she was responsible for overseeing the strategy, development, growth and execution of five events annually. These ranged from executive summits to tradeshows, most notably the Natural Products Expo, with 70,000+ attendees and 3,000+ exhibiting brands.
“We are pleased to welcome Lacey to the Brewers Association team,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO of the BA. “I’m excited for Lacey to contribute her expertise and fresh eyes to shaping the future of our existing events and identifying new scalable ways to engage with our members and prospective members.”
Gautier is based in Boulder, Colo., and started in her new role at the Brewers Association on Oct. 1, 2024.
Platform Beer cofounder Paul Benner named U.S. CEO of home-brew specialist Pinter
Pinter is a leading producer of home beer-making devices. The company recently announced the appointment of Paul Benner as its new U.S. CEO. Perhaps you remember the name? With nearly 15 years of experience in the beer industry and deep roots in Cleveland’s brewing scene, Benner brings expertise and passion for innovation to the growing homebrewing market.
A true pioneer of Cleveland’s craft beer landscape, Benner founded the Cleveland Brew Shop, a full-service homebrewing supply store, showcasing his dedication to helping aspiring brewers craft their own beer. His entrepreneurial vision continued to grow with the founding of Platform Beer Co., an Ohio-based brewery that expanded across nine states and operated multiple taprooms at its peak. Platform Beer Co. became one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the U.S. and was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019.
As U.S. CEO, Benner is focused on expanding Pinter’s presence nationwide. He will be driving the brand’s mission to revolutionize the home beer-making experience. He will be starting with two American breweries: Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Sycamore Brewing. His rich background in brewing operations, recipe formulation and business management uniquely positions him to lead this charge.
Pinter’s advanced beer-making device allows users to brew their own beer at home with ease. It offers a variety of beer styles that cater to both casual enthusiasts and seasoned brewers. Under Benner’s leadership, Pinter aims to bring the joy of craft beer creation to a broader audience.
BrewDog named Joshua Huth as its new head of U.S. retail operations
BrewDog USA has been a pioneering force in craft beer since its U.S. launch in 2017. Now it is continuing its growth and investment as both a brewery and retail operator. To strengthen its retail presence and drive results, the company has appointed Joshua Huth as its new head of U.S. retail operations.
An Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University, Huth is deeply connected to the Buckeye State. He brings over two decades of leadership and operational experience. His most recent role as Area Manager for Hot Chicken Takeover involved overseeing menu development, financial performance and marketing strategies to boost top-line sales. Huth also held previous district manager roles with The Wendy’s Co./and Condado Tacos. This is in addition to management positions earlier in his career at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Applebee’s Grill + Bar. This is where he honed his skills in leadership, budget management and sales growth.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Josh to the BrewDog USA team,” said John Graham, CEO at BrewDog USA. “His deep expertise in retail operations and leadership, combined with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences, proven track record and connection to Ohio, makes him the perfect fit to drive our retail operations to new heights.”
With BrewDog USA, Huth will focus on driving top-line sales, enhancing profit and loss performance and developing effective community involvement strategies within BrewDog’s bars and restaurants. His expertise will be pivotal in advancing the brands growth and profitability while maintaining its commitment to high quality, great-tasting beer.
Dust Bowl Brewing hired Ryan Roberts as its brewery sales rep for the Greater San Francisco Bay Area
Dust Bowl Brewing Co. recently announced the hiring of Ryan Roberts as the company’s brewery sales representative for the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. In this capacity, Roberts is responsible for facilitating and increasing beer sales among existing and target accounts. Additionally, Roberts will be in the market to build brand awareness via on- and off-premise events and tastings.
Roberts comes to Dust Bowl Brewing Co. with extensive portfolio management and customer service experience gained during his 12+ years with well-known retailer, Trader Joe’s.
“We’re excited to have Ryan join our sales team,” commented Marc Jalbert, executive director of marketing and sales at Dust Bowl Brewing Co. “His retail background is a tremendous asset to Dust Bowl as we look to grow and strengthen our market share in the competitive San Francisco Bay Area region. From strategic product selection to excellent customer relations, we believe Ryan’s skill set will provide immediate value and serve as a catalyst to growing the Dust Bowl brand in our home state of California.”
Dust Bowl Brewing established its business in 2009 and began distributing beer to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015. The company offers an extensive portfolio of packaged year-round beers, specialty releases and draft options. Based on the national Brewers Association annual reports, Dust Bowl Brewing ranks among the top two percent of craft breweries in both California and across the United States. Dust Bowl Brewing produced 21,484 barrels in 2023, positioning it as the 17th largest craft brewery. That’s among 767 fellow craft brewers in California and 119th out of 7,583 in the United States.
California Craft Brewers Association announced the departure of executive director Lori Ajax
The California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) is the oldest and largest state trade association representing craft breweries in the country. It has announced the forthcoming departure of Executive Director Lori Ajax. Ajax will leave her position at the end of the year.
During her tenure, Ajax used her experience as a state regulator for alcohol and cannabis to champion and advance the interests of the craft beer community.
“I am honored to have been part of a great team that advocates tirelessly for the interests of California craft brewers. It has been a privilege to support and serve California’s entrepreneurial and historic craft beer community, and I look forward to sharing a beer with our next ED,” said Ajax.
Since joining the California Craft Brewers Association in 2021, Ajax has successfully worked with the board of directors and staff to identify and implement process improvements. She played a key role in passing crucial legislation and established strategic partnerships with allied organizations.
Sierra Grossman, board chair, expressed the organization’s gratitude to Ajax, stating: “The Board of Directors wishes her the best of luck and opportunities in her future endeavors. Lori will stay until the end of the year. The board will continue to oversee the process of permanently filling the position. We are confident that Lori and the staff will make this a smooth transition for our membership, partners, and stakeholders.”
For those interested in applying for the executive director position, the California Craft Brewers Association has released the job description and posting announcement. The Board of Directors is committed to finding the right person who shares its passion for the craft beer industry.
Allegheny Mountain Malt announced Taiece Brooks as its new director of business development
In response to increased demand, Allegheny Mountain Malt recently welcomed Taiece Brooks as its new director of business development. Brooks will be responsible for working with craft and home brewers to enhance their recipes. She will be using malt that originates from locally grown barley. She has extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, including managerial experience at Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh.
Brooks spent over a decade in food service. This includes positions in restaurant front-of-house and culminating with her responsibilities as the assistant general manager of Penn Brewery. Building on that expertise, Brooks next added her talents to the team at nonprofit Food21. She worked closely with the hundreds of food entrepreneurs and businesses that make up the Pittsburgh Food & Beverage Network (FaB). Both Allegheny Mountain Malt and Pittsburgh FaB are projects of Food21.
“I’m excited to be returning to the brewing industry at this point in my career,” said Brooks. “I know that craft brewers are committed to creating the freshest and tastiest brews possible. There is nothing fresher than Allegheny Mountain Malt, sourced from the Laurel Highlands and malted in Butler County.”
“One thing I’ve observed during my time in the food industry,” Brooks continued, “is the increasing consumer demand for local food and beverage products and locally sourced ingredients. I look forward to working with home and craft brewers to help introduce this hyper-local malt to their thirsty customers.”
Brooks studied graphic and web design at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In addition to her positions at Allegheny Mountain Malt and with Food21, she operates Brooks Branding. It specializes in the development of small business digital management systems and marketing strategies.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.