North American Breweries is continuing to strengthen its roster with seasoned craft executives.
Tom Cardella, the former CEO Tenth & Blake, who retired from the beer business in 2014, has joined the NAB board of directors.
“Tom is a well-respected and established leader in the beer business,” Ramon Mendiola, CEO of Florida Ice & Farm Company, the parent company of North American Breweries, said in a press statement. “He has mentored some of the best people and developed some of the strongest brands in the business. He knows how to sell and market beer.”
NAB — whose domestic and import brands include Magic Hat, Pyramid, Portland Brewing, Labatt, Genesee, Dundee Ales & Lagers and Seagram’s Escapes — added Cardella to the board to help guide “thinking, innovation and growth strategy,” Mendiola added.
Cardella is the third notable beer veteran to join the company in the last five months. Last December, NAB hired former Anheuser-Busch executive Mark Hegedus, who had been serving as the president of Blue Point Brewing, to take over as the general manager for its Magic Hat Brand. NAB also hired former Craft Brew Alliance senior director Robert Rentsch to lead its Pyramid and Portland Brewing brands last September.
In his 27 years with Miller Brewing and MillerCoors, Cardella served in a variety of roles, most notably as the chief of Tenth and Blake, MillerCoors’ craft and import division.
With Tenth & Blake, Cardella oversaw the growth and development of the Blue Moon, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Crispin Cider Co., AC Golden and Peroni brands.
“I’ve spent most of my career in beer, and without a doubt this is one of the most exciting times for the industry,” Cardella said in a statement. “North American Breweries, because of its size, brand portfolio and business philosophy, is uniquely positioned to grow. They are small enough, yet, big enough to innovate and hit the market fast. They have a strong leadership team and great bench depth with its board of directors.”
Cardella joins an NAB board that also includes John Nicolson, former president of Heineken Americas; Richard Strup, retired senior vice president of Miller Brewing Company; Rolando Carvajal, regional director for food & beverages of Florida Ice & Farm Company; Ramon Mendiola, CEO of Florida Ice & Farm Company; Carlos Rojas, CFO of Florida Ice & Farm Company; and Kris Sirchio, CEO of North American Breweries.
NAB volume sales were down 1.8 percent in 2015, according to market research firm IRI Worldwide