People Moves: Melvin Brewing Hires New CEO, Revamps Staff; Brewery Ommegang President Exits

Melvin Brewing Restructures Management Team

Melvin Brewing has revamped its leadership team, including hiring Frank Magazine as CEO of the Alpine, Wyoming-based craft brewery.

Magazine will work with Melvin founder Jeremy Tofte to lead the company, according to a press release. He brings 35 years of beverage industry experience to Melvin, “specializing in water treatment and process additives for the brewing industry.”

Magazine joins Melvin after the brewery’s production declined 6%, to 21,348 barrels, in 2019, according to data from the Brewers Association. Melvin had been one of the fastest growing breweries in the U.S., increasing production from 7,896 barrels in 2016 to 19,868 barrels in 2017 and 22,665 barrels in 2018.

In addition to Magazine, Melvin has appointed a new director of brewing operations and revamped its sales and administrative teams.

Melvin has chosen Ian Fuller as its new director of brewing operations. Fuller, who previously worked at Idaho’s Payette Brewing and Oregon’s Ninkasi, brings 17 years of brewing experience.

Additionally, Bryan Giddens is taking over as Melvin’s national sales director. Giddens has 25 years of beer industry experience, last working in a similar role for five years at Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned Elysian Brewing in Seattle. According to Giddens’ LinkedIn page, he assumed the role in September 2019.

John Zagajeski also joined Melvin as national key account manager in November 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. Zagajeski has two decades of experience, having last worked at A-B wholesaler King Beverage in Spokane. Zagajeski also brings A-B experience, having worked as a district manager for A-B’s High End craft business unit (now the Brewers Collective) for nearly a year and as a regional sales manager at Elysian from September 2013 to March 2017. Before joining A-B’s beer business, he started his career in the beer industry at King Beverage, working at the wholesaler for more than 13 years.

Melvin has also hired Ann Gruenwald as administrative assistant.

Doug Campbell Out as President and GM of Brewery Ommegang

After nearly four years leading the strategic and operational direction of Brewery Ommegang as president and general manager, Doug Campbell is no longer with the Cooperstown, New York-based craft brewery.

Campbell exited the company in April, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Members of the leadership team within Duvel Moortgat USA have moved to Cooperstown to fill in on an interim basis, Duvel Moortgat USA VP of sales Bobby Dykstra told Brewbound.

Asked if the company was looking to fill the vacant position, Duvel Moortgat USA VP of marketing Natalie Gershon said “all things are being considered.”

“We’re looking at the team internally, we’re looking at structure, we’re looking at really just how we can better support the entire portfolio,” she added.

Campbell joined Brewery Ommegang in September 2016 after more than 12 years at Diageo, where he last served as brand director for Ketel One Vodka and previously held the roles of marketing director and innovation director for the company’s beer portfolio.

Molson Coors Names Marcelo Pascoa Coors Family VP of Brand Marketing

Molson Coors Beverage Company has hired Marcelo Pascoa, former Burger King VP of brand and communications for North America, as its VP of brand marketing for the Coors family of brands, Brewbound has confirmed. Pascoa assumes the new role on Monday, June 22.

Molson Coors chief marketing officer Michelle St. Jacques announced Pascoa’s hiring in a memo to wholesalers and executives.

“While his reputation and brand work speaks for itself (I’d encourage everyone to watch the groundbreaking This Coke is a Fanta, Whopper Detour and Moldy Whopper campaigns), I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Marcelo for a couple of years and have admired the guts that he’s put into his work from afar,” she wrote. “We have had many exciting conversations about where we can continue to push these historic brands, and his passion for brand building and marketing is simply incredible.”

Pascoa has held leadership roles at Airbnb, as head of marketing for Latin America, and The Coca-Cola Company, where he was global creative director and creative excellence director.

McDermott, Will, Emery Adds Nichole Shustack

Nichole Shustack has joined McDermott Will & Emery as counsel in the firm’s alcohol regulatory and distribution group.

“McDermott’s reputation in the alcohol beverage industry is unmatched, and I am honored to have a chance to join a group with such an impressive legacy,” Shustack wrote in an email to Brewbound. “With Alva [Mather] at the helm and with such a strong team around her, I have no doubt the Alcohol Regulatory Group at McDermott will continue to be a leader in the industry.”

At McDermott, she will be focusing on alcohol trade practice, regulatory, commercial agreements and distribution matters.

Before taking on the role at McDermott, Shustack worked as corporate counsel at the Boston Beer Company for eight years, where she led the team overseeing the company’s merger with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in 2019, oversaw distributor contracts and managed commercial agreements.

Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma Appoints New Executive Director

Public relations professional Tabbi Burwell has been appointed executive director of the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, according to her social media profile.

Burwell boasts more than six years of experience working for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau as senior manager for destination communications and communication manager.

Hopsters Adds Head of Sales

Newton, Massachusetts-based Hopsters has hired Maura Foley as its head of sales and marketing, according to an email.

Foley will be tasked with expanding Hopsters’ presence in liquor stores and restaurants in Massachusetts, the company said.

Hopsters, a brew-your-own-beer brewpub concept, is currently selling its to-go beer at 50% off. The company produced 935 barrels of beer last year, according to the BA.

Next Glass Adds to Executive Team

Untappd and Beer Advocate parent company Next Glass has added three members to its executive team.

The Wilmington, North Carolina-based tech company announced earlier this month the additions of:

  • Alison Hawkins as chief financial officer;
  • Chris Herron as chief technology officer;
  • And Tom Maneschijn as VP of European Operations.

“Following an investment from Providence Strategic Growth in March, these new executive hires position Untappd for growth and global expansion as restaurants, bars and breweries begin to reopen,” the company said in a press release. “These hires will enable Next Glass to scale its technological capabilities and offerings, to build out financial analysis and accounting capabilities required for rapid growth through acquisition and core business expansion, as well as to establish a formal presence in Europe, an area in which the company has experienced substantial growth in recent years.”