Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bob Pease will retire next year after more than three decades with the trade association, the organization announced today.
Pease will step down from his role in early 2025 “once his successor is in place,” according to the announcement.
The BA’s board of directors has retained Kittleman & Associates, a search firm dedicated to executive searches for nonprofit organizations, to lead the recruitment of a new president and CEO.
“After careful consideration, I believe it is time to help this great association transition to new leadership and for me to move on to new endeavors,” Pease said in the release. “Over the last three decades, I have witnessed the Brewers Association grow from a small, narrowly focused association to one that is now a power player on important issues facing the industry domestically and internationally.
“Throughout my time at the helm of the Brewers Association, we have helped our members navigate explosive growth and unprecedented challenges. In doing so, we have put the BA on the map as a political force. Representing this iconic community, its brands, and the incredible people who embody passion in their craft has been an absolute honor. I look forward to seeing continued success in the industry.”
BA board president and Right Proper Brewing co-owner Leah Cheston called Pease “an unwavering advocate for small and independent brewers.”
“He spearheaded the organization during a critical time for the industry, growing the craft beer market share to 13% and supplying countless tools to help the craft brewing community thrive, from professional resources and tax savings, to hosting world-class events,” she said in the release.
“We thank Bob for his steadfast leadership and look forward to partnering with him to ensure a smooth transition and search for his successor.”
Pease has spent more than 32 years at the BA, and has served as CEO since 2014. He first joined the trade group in 1993 as a customer service manager, and later held roles including operations director, vice president and COO.
Pease is credited with creating the BA’s Export Development Program (EDP), which helps U.S. brewers with “international expansion and media promotion,” as well as international education. With the help of the program, U.S. craft beer exports have grown from 16,000 barrels annually (approximately $3 million), to more than 230,000 barrels ($71 million).
Pease was also a leader in the passage of Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which was enacted in 2017 and made permanent in 2020, providing federal excise tax relief for craft breweries. He also guided the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, advocating for relief for small brewers.
His tenure leading the BA has seen the number of craft breweries in the country grow to 9,761 in operation in 2023. BA-defined craft brewers last year collectively produced nearly 23.4 million barrels of beer. Craft’s volume share stood at 13.3%, with dollar share at 24.7%.
Pease was also named Brewbound’s Beer Industry Person of the Year in both 2015 and 2020.
This is the second retirement announcement for a long-term BA staff member this year. In March, BA SVP of meetings and events Nancy Johnson announced her retirement at the end of 2024 after her own 30-year tenure.
Both Pease and Johnson recently spoke to Brewbound for A Round With, Brewbound’s Insider-exclusive feature. Insiders can read the full Q&A’s in the links above.