Anheuser-Busch InBev today announced that Mark Hegedus, the president of New York-based craft beer outfit Blue Point Brewing, will depart the organization at the end of the month.
Hegedus has accepted a position with North American Breweries (NAB) and will take over as the president and general manager of Magic Hat Brewing in December.
“I thank Mark for his leadership and building a team that will drive Blue Point moving forward,” said Andy Goeler, CEO of Craft for A-B InBev’s High End team. “Co-founder Mark Burford will continue to be involved in Blue Point’s operations and a successor to lead Blue Point on a daily basis will be named in the near future.”
Hegedus had been with A-B InBev for nearly four years, previously serving as the senior director of marketing for Goose Island. He was appointed president of Blue Point last April, just three months after the world’s largest beer company purchased the small brewery.
“I am really going to miss all of the people I had an opportunity to work with here at Blue Point and at Anheuser-Busch,” Hegedus told Brewbound. “This opportunity presented itself and I am excited to work with an iconic craft beer brand like Magic Hat. It has some great awareness and visibility throughout the country and I strongly believe that it still has many great days ahead.”
During his time as president of Blue Point, Hegedus helped the company grow total production by more than 30 percent. Core brands like Toasted Lager and Hoptical Illusion are up 40 and 50 percent, respectively, he said.
Hegedus also helped spearhead a brewery expansion initiative, construction for which is slated to begin in early 2016.
“I was hoping to see that project through, but this was a unique and unexpected opportunity that came my way and I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.
Hegedus, who also had stints with Deschutes Brewery, Red Bull and Coors Brewing, said he is currently in the process of relocating to Vermont, where Magic Hat is based.
This is the second notable new hire NAB has made in 2015. In September, the company hired former Craft Brew Alliance senior director Robert Rentsch to lead the its Pyramid and Portland Brewing brands.