Ska Brewing hires Avery Brewing vet Steve Breezley as chief operating officer

Steve Breezley knows how to physically make great beer. Breezley knows how to sell that beer, brand that beer and basically run the business behind making said beer. In conclusion: You’d probably want Steve Breezley working at your craft brewery, but you can’t have him, because he’s working for Ska Brewing Co. now.

Ska announced the hire of Breezley as Chief Operating Officer to oversee operations from Ska’s world headquarters in Durango, Colo. Breezley spent his last 14 years at Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, first as a brewer and most recently as COO. He is a long-time Great American Beer Fest judge and an active member of both the Master Brewers Association of the Americas and the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

“We’ve always admired Breeze’s work, and by that I mean that we’ve consumed copious amounts of the beers he’s been responsible for over the years,” said Dave Thibodeau, President and CEO of Ska. “There simply is no better fit for us and the exciting plans we have for the future.”

Breezley started his brewing career in the mid ’90s in Oregon and graduated from the Master Brewer Program at UC Davis, passing the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD), London, Diploma in Brewing Examination (IBD DBE). Passing the examination is an internationally recognized standard of achievement and professional qualification for practical brewers, managers and executives in breweries, maltings and allied industries.

“Breezley has been working with Ska’s management at the brewery for the past three months in a consulting capacity and has already brought a tremendous amount of knowledge and earned respect from all of Ska’s staff,” said Thibodeau. “He cares genuinely about the people involved in what we do. He also cares deeply about the beer and brings with him a wealth of brewing knowledge that will help us remain relevant as we continue to grow as a company.”

Thibodeau, who has been heading up daily operations at the brewery to date, will maintain his existing role as chief executive officer.