Texas-based lager brand Eight has promoted chief commercial officer (CCO) David Reny to CEO. He will assume the post effective May 1, as Eight co-founder and CEO Ruchi Desai shifts her focus to capital raises and strategic planning.
Reny joined Eight as CCO in October 2023, after serving as regional sales director for Yuengling. His resume includes more than three decades of experience in bev-alc, including stints leading sales teams at Gallo, Molson Coors and Mast-Jägermeister.
Eight co-founder and former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman cited Reny’s “vast commercial experience” at those bev-alc companies for helping him “bring a commercial mindset to this important phase of growth” for the 3-year-old beer brand.
“His deep understanding of total alcohol beverage, the current geographies that we operate in, his deep relationships and his leadership abilities, is exactly why we brought him on as CCO last October,” Aikman added.
Desai called Reny “an incredible leader with vast experience and relationships throughout the industry.”
“We’ve never been more bullish on the future of Eight,” she added.
Aikman called Desai’s transition to strategy and fundraising “a natural shift for her and the enterprise.”
“Ruchi has done a great job with the conception of Eight and its unique value proposition for today’s consumer,” he added.
Eight co-founder Doug Campbell, who had served as co-CEO with Desai at launch, departed the company in Q4 2023, the company shared.
In addition to Reny’s promotion, Eight shared that the company has expanded its supply chain relationship with Boulevard Brewing Company. Eight began brewing draft beer with Boulevard last year and transitioned all production to the company’s campus in Kansas City, Missouri.
The company also shared an update on its year-to-date (YTD) volume trends through March. Eight’s business is “up strong double digits YTD, with on-premise leading the way,” Desai told Brewbound. Following the launch in Oklahoma, Eight’s volume is up +51%.
Meanwhile, the company’s Texas business is flat, with off-premise volume down -2%, an improvement over 2023 trends. In the on-premise channel, Eight is up +9%.
For more on Eight’s business, read Brewbound’s coverage of the company’s launch in Oklahoma, including plans for new packaging and an increased footprint in Walmart stores.