Katrina Shabo Appointed Sales Director of Medusa Brewing Co.
Katrina Shabo, former director of sales and marketing at Worcester, Massachusetts-based Wormtown Brewery, has joined Medusa Brewing Company in Hudson as sales director.
“Medusa is a brand I have always respected since I attended their grand opening in 2015,” Shabo told Brewbound via email. “I thrive off relationships and need to be passionate about where I am, so Medusa was a brewery that I knew I could get behind and saw a lot of potential for growth. Growth that I am excited to help them achieve.”
Medusa had been interested in working with Shabo for a while, but “with the industry being so close-knit, most don’t feel right about poaching employees,” Shabo said. So when Medusa VP and co-founder Keith Sullivan learned of Shabo’s departure from Wormtown last fall, he reached out to discuss her next career move.
Shabo started her new role on March 28. As director of sales, she will “oversee, strategize and grow” the company’s wholesale business, manage the sales team, and coordinate Medusa’s relationship with its contract brewing partner, Framingham, Massachusetts-based Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers. Beyond “financial growth goals,” she will also help the nearly decade-old company define its brand story, who it is “to our community, our consumers, our distribution partners and to our employees in order to drive stronger connections, especially in our home market,” Shabo said.
Shabo has more than 13 years of beverage-alcohol experience in various sales and marketing roles, including director of sales and operations for Edgartown, Massachusetts-based Bad Martha Brewing Co. and director of marketing for Worcester-based Mass Liquors, according to her LinkedIn profile. She joined Wormtown in 2016, and departed in September 2021.
In her final year at Wormtown, Shabo led a committee charged with helping improve the company’s workplace culture, after several accounts of harrasment and discrimination at Wormtown were shared online. In the fallout, nearly all members of Wormtown’s ownership group stepped away from daily operations, except for co-founder and brewmaster Ben Roesch.
Scott Metzger, then Wormtown’s general manager, called the stories “disturbing and heartbreaking.” Similar to Shabo, he left the company in the fall of 2021, and is now COO of Maui Brewing Co.
“I worked for Wormtown Brewery for over five years and there were a lot of great achievements we celebrated but also some failures that I hope to avoid in my new position,” Shabo said. “I aim to bring a level of expertise and experience to my new position from the years of success we had at [Wormtown] and my other past positions in the industry. A big one is a focus on leadership versus management, and that great leadership is key to a successful operation and a happy team.
“My goal is to be a strong leader at Medusa and ensure our company has a strong plan in place for each year so all employees know what the company aims to achieve and what their individual goals/expectations are to eliminate disorganization,” she continued.
Blue Point GM Carrie Shafir Promoted to Brewers Collective VP of Marketing
Carrie Shafir has been promoted to VP of marketing for the Brewers Collective, Anhesuer-Busch InBev’s (A-B’s) craft business unit.
Shafir has worked for A-B for more than seven years, and has worked within the Brewers Collective for nearly three years, serving as general manager of Patchogue, New York-based Blue Point Brewing Company and Nantucket, Massachusetts-based Cisco Brewers – breweries within the Brewers Collective’s eastern division (BC East).
Golden Road co-founder Meg Gill has served as VP of marketing for the Brewers Collective since July 2020, when the division consisted of only 13 breweries. Shafir was promoted to the role last month, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In June, Gill moved to a new role at the Brewers Collective as VP of founder development, where she will focus on “driving founder engagement, involvement, and key initiatives,” continuing to report to Brewers Collective president Andy Thomas, an A-B spokesperson told Brewbound.
“The Anheuser-Busch Brewers Collective has a network of actively engaged founders, and this role will be dedicated to continuing to strengthen that network and tie back to our larger strategy,” the spokesperson said. “Meg uniquely brings a trifecta of experience to this important role: building Golden Road as an independent brewery, being an active founder within the Brewers Collective, and leading as a member of the Brewers Collective senior team as VP of Marketing. Meg is uniquely positioned to bring a well-rounded perspective to strengthen and continue evolving the founder model.”
A-B has 21 craft brands in its Brewers Collective Portfolio, including six national brands: Kona (outside of Hawaii), Goose Island, Elysian, Omission, Virtue Cider and Golden Road. BC East includes Blue Point; Cisco Brewers; Devils Backbone (Roseland, Virginia); Platform Beer Co. (Cleveland, Ohio); Wicked Weed (Asheville, North Carolina); Veza Sur (Miami, Florida); Wynwood Brewing (Miami, Florida); and Appalachian Mountain Brewery (Boone, North Carolina).
BC West includes 10 Barrel Brewing (Bend, Oregon); Breckenridge Brewery (Littleton, Colorado); Four Peaks Brewing (Tempe, Arizona); Karbach Brewing (Houston, Texas); Redhook Brewing (Seattle, Washington); and Widmer Brothers Brewing (Portland, Oregon) and Square Mile Cider Co.
Upland Brewing Names Tech Industry Veteran Eddie DeSalle President
Eddie DeSalle has been named president of Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington, Indiana.
DeSalle previously served as a strategic consultant for Upland, and has spent his career focused on technology and software, according to a press release. In 2008, he founded Net Irrigate, an agriculture technology company, which was acquired by Lindsay Corporation in 2020. DeSalle transitioned to general manager at Lindsay Corp. after the acquisition, before moving to Mesh Systems, an internet solutions company, in February 2022, according to DeSalle’s LinkedIn page.
“I’m looking forward to incorporating my technology and innovation knowledge into Upland Brewing Company to further strengthen this prominent Indiana brand,” DeSalle said in the release. “In today’s ultra-competitive market, increased digitalization is imperative. Data science, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) are not always top-of-mind in the beer industry, but they should be. We will use these tools and other disruptive technology as catalysts for growth with cost optimized production, precision logistics, innovative sourcing, strategic marketing and more.”
DeSalle’s hiring as president is the first of “an expected half dozen” roles Upland plans to fill this year with “tech-savvy, passionate people interested in the beer business,” as part of the company’s new strategy to “drive value by focusing more on innovative solutions to enhance their products and onsite experiences,” according to the release.
DeSalle’s appointment comes less than three months after former president and CEO David Bower left Upland to join Wildpack Beverage, a national beverage co-packer and packaging, as VP of sales. Bower has since moved to Demandwell, a software startup, as sales manager.
While software is a new industry for Bower, he told Brewbound it is “surprisingly reminiscent of the sky-is-the-limit optimism and energy of the earlier days of craft beer.”
Mikkeller CEO Steps Down, Replaced by Committee Including Founder Mikkel Bjergsø
Mikkeller CEO Kenneth Madsen has stepped down after nearly two years with the Copenhagen-based brewery, the company announced on August 9.
Madsen and Mikkeller “mutually agreed to part ways,” Ditte Lassen-Kahlke, Mikkeller general counsel and chair of the board, said in a press release.
“We have had thorough discussions about what to do considering the situation within the craft beer market and have agreed that the global expansion that Kenneth was brought in for is not currently realistic to implement,” Lassen-Kahlke said. “We would like to say a big thank you to Kenneth for his great efforts during his time at Mikkeller.”
Madsen was Mikkeller’s first CEO hired outside of the company, replacing co-founder and creative director Mikkel Bjergsø in October 2020. With Madsen’s hiring, Mikkeller set its eyes on continued global expansion, particularly in East Asia, which it projected would “take up about half of the [company’s] business by the end of 2022,” Bjergsø said in October.
Day-to-day management decisions will now be overseen by an executive committee, including Lassen Kahlke, Bjergsø and CFO and director Martin Connie Pinborg.
Last year, Mikkeller came under fire when former employees shared stories of workplace harassment and unsafe working conditions, Good Beer Hunting reported. Other allegations against Mikkeller were included in the many stories of discrimination and harrasment shared by former Notch Brewing production manager Brienne Allan (@ratmagnet) and @EmboldenActAdvance on Instagram in May 2021.
Bjersø repeatedly denied the claims, telling Danish media outlets the way Mikkeller was being portrayed was “inaccurate and unfair.” Madsen distanced the company from its founder in October, and said Bjersø’s comments “did not convey the company’s or Mikkel’s stance in full on this serious topic,” Good Beer Hunting reported.
Mikkeller’s new leadership committee is now working on a new business strategy, focused “less on expansion” and instead “ambitious in terms of the quality of the beers and the experience in bars and restaurants,” according to the release.
“It is generally a very challenging time for production companies – and especially in light of the current market situation – it is necessary for us to look at the whole business and ensure that it is sustainable,” Bjergsø said in the release. “After that, we can invest again in expanding the company and get Mikkeller’s beer out to even more people.
“We will continue to work on maintaining our position in our focus markets,” he continued. “Business is going well in the retail trade for instance where craft beer is fortunately on the rise. But we are taking things in stages, and right now it is the brand, product development and the beer that is our focus.”
Despite the adjusted focus, Mikeller still plans to open a second bar in Tallinn, Estonia, this fall, and reopen its restaurant in Bangkok, according to the release.
Waterbird Taps Boston Beer Vet to Lead National Accounts
Ready-to-drink canned cocktail maker Waterbird Spirits has named Andrew Henigin as its VP of national accounts.
Henigin joins Waterbird after nearly 16 years in a variety of sales roles at the Boston Beer Company. His most recent title there was division chain manager.
“We are so fired up to have him on the team,” Waterbird founder Wilson Craig told Brewbound.
Earlier this year, Waterbird added Jim DeTulleo, another Boston Beer alum, as VP of sales. The brand entered the convenience channel this year with resealable 24 oz. single-serve cans, a package format that has also garnered attention from grocery stores and event venues, Craig said.
Waterbird grew 600% in 2021 and is on pace for 700% growth in 2022, he told Brewbound.
Brian Truelsen Joins Vermont Cider Company as VP of Sales
Longtime Anheuser-Busch InBev vet Brian Truelsen has joined Vermont Cider Company (VCC) as its VP of sales after more than 20 years with the world’s largest beer manufacturer.
“Brian brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Vermont Cider Company, and his skill set is perfectly aligned with our own goals and objectives for our portfolio,” VCC chief commercial officer Bridget Blacklock said in a press release. “The hiring of Brian to oversee our sales team positions VCC for our next level of growth across our current brands and beyond.”
VCC’s portfolio includes Woodchuck Hard Cider, Wyder’s Cider and Day Chaser Cocktails. The company also imports Magners Cider from Ireland.
“I am both humbled and energized by the opportunity to lead such a seasoned team of sales
professionals,” Truelsen said in the release. “It’s an incredibly exciting time at VCC as we grow the existing portfolio of amazing brands while generating new revenue streams with a future lineup of category-shaping innovation.”
During his tenure at A-B, Truelsen served as head of partnerships for A-B’s beyond beer business unit and head of sales and new business for ZX Ventures, A-B’s global investment and innovation group, as well as a variety of sales leadership roles.
In his new role, Truelsen will manage distributor relationships and lead the company’s national sales team.
Northeast Drinks Group acquired VCC in April 2021.
Bevana Names New President
Adam Mullis will join Bevana as its new president, the craft beverage platform announced in a press release.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Adam bringing his expertise to the team,” founder and CEO Andrew Durstewitz said in the release. “He was one of our first customers and has always been a great advocate for what we’re doing for the craft beverage industry. He’s going to help us elevate what we are able to do even further, and keep delivering great products to our customers, and new business to our Bevana Partners.”
Mullis comes to Bevana from Carolina Premium Beverage, where spent more than a decade in a variety of brand manager roles. His most recent title was import and domestic brand manager, which was appointed to in August 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Newton, North Carolina-headquartered Bevana pairs craft beverage makers “with eager customers that they would otherwise be unable to reach,” according to the company. Partners include D9 Brewing, 13 Stripes Brewery, Bay Cannon Beer Company, Pursuit Ales, Side Hustle Brews & Spirits and Up Dog Kombucha.