Sierra Nevada VP of sales Ellie Preslar has been promoted to chief commercial officer of the California-based craft brewery.
Preslar fills the position left vacant by the retirement of Joe Whitney in October, after 17 years at Sierra Nevada. Preslar will be responsible for overseeing “all commercial operations, including sales and marketing,” as well as “certain elements of Sierra Nevada’s newly commissioned [CanDo] co-packing facility,” according to a press release.
“Our future success requires that we create a high-performing, inclusive environment with teams that are equipped to navigate the evolving craft beverage landscape,” Sierra Nevada president and CEO Pryce Greenow said in the release. “Ellie has a proven track record of leading with those principles and I’m confident she will help deliver the next chapter of sustainable growth at Sierra Nevada.”
Greenow himself began his role as CEO in February. Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman had served as interim CEO for more than six months following the retirement of Jeff White.
Preslar joined Sierra Nevada as VP of sales in November 2021, filling the vacancy left by the departure of Nick Lundquist after 19 years. Lundquist went on to become chief sales officer of hard kombucha maker Flying Embers, and is now not directly working within the industry, according to his LinkedIn.
Prior to Sierra Nevada, Preslar spent 17 years at CPG giant Procter & Gamble (P&G). She held several sales director positions at P&G, and last served as VP of sales for the baby care division, leading sales and marketing strategies for Pampers and Luvs.
“I’m honored to be named chief commercial officer at a company with such a rich history and unwavering commitment to quality as Sierra Nevada,” Preslar said in the latest release. “We have an exciting opportunity ahead of us with innovation at the forefront, and I’m optimistic for what the future holds.”
Sierra was the third largest Brewers Association (BA) defined craft brewery by volume in 2023, and 11th largest brewer in the U.S., according to the trade group. In 2022 – the most recent year specific production numbers are available from the BA – Sierra Nevada produced 1,062,495 barrels of beer, and -4% decline versus 2021.
Sierra Nevada is also in search of a new brand director, as Kyle Ingram transitions to director of insights and innovation, leading a new team focused on future growth, as well as the business at the CanDo facility. Ingram joined Sierra Nevada as brand director in late 2020. He was previously VP of marketing at Flying Embers, and spent time at CANarchy Brewery Collective (now Monster Brewing).
The new brand director will report to Sierra Nevada VP of marketing, Lesley Albright – who was promoted to the position in January 2023 – and will work in partnership with Ingram to drive “the brand strategy for the entire Sierra Nevada portfolio,” according to the job listing. Further details on the role, including compensation and benefits, are available in the listing on Brewbound.com.
Year-to-date (YTD) through April 21, Sierra Nevada is the 11th largest beer vendor in Circana-tracked off-premise channels, increasing dollar sales +1.8%, while volume, measured by case sales, declined -1.5%. Sierra Nevada also had four of the top 30 craft brands in Circana-tracked channels YTD: No. 4 Hazy Little Thing (dollar sales +9.4%, volume +7.2%); No. 5 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (dollar sales -4.3%, volume -8.3%); No. 25 Torpedo Extra IPA (dollar sales -6.8%, volume -9.6%); and No.. 29 Big Little Thing imperial IPA (dollar sales -16.3%, volume -18.7%).
Stay tuned for further coverage of the leadership changes at Sierra Nevada.