Founder Ray Daniels has sold the Cicerone Certification Program to Dan Imdieke and Jason Pratt, the organization announced today.
Imdieke and Pratt are both Master Cicerones, the highest title conferred by the beer education certification program.
“For several years now, I have been looking for a suitable group to take over ownership of the Cicerone Certification Program,” Daniels said in a press release. “These two Master Cicerones are well-known to me and to the program as the result of having worked with us in a number of capacities over the years. Based on their experience both in the industry and with Cicerone, I feel very confident entrusting the future of the program to them.”
Since the Cicerone Certification Program’s founding in 2008, it “has become the industry standard for identifying those with significant knowledge and professional skills in beer sales and service,” according to its website. More than 150,000 people in more than 90 countries have received one of the organization’s four certification levels: Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone, Advanced Cicerone and Master Cicerone.
Imdieke and Pratt are long-time beer industry veterans. Both are alumni of Molson Coors, where they were beer educators, among other roles.
Pratt’s career began 17 years ago at Molson Coors (then Miller Brewing Company) as a yeast and fermentation scientist. He has held several roles at the company, including trade brewer and beer education manager for craft division Tenth and Blake, and director of beverage innovation for North America, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“We truly believe that beer education is vital to the health of the industry, and we’re committed to showcasing how beer knowledge can elevate the category and help sell more beer,” Pratt said in the release. “It provides a better consumer experience, increases employee engagement, and levels the playing field for people looking to break into beer careers.”
Imdieke’s beer career began at Yard House in 2002, where he developed the craft-centric chain’s bar training program, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was the manager of beer operations and beer buyer for CraftWorks’ Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom chain. Imdieke joined Molson Coors’ beer education team (then MillerCoors) in 2015. His last role there was director of operations at Denver-based Blue Moon Brewing Company, the country’s largest craft beer brand in scan data.
“Training and education have always been my favorite part of the roles I’ve had and just seeing people’s eyes light up when you help spark that passion for beer,” Imdieke said in the release. “We have both been lucky enough to work in jobs where we’ve used Cicerone knowledge daily and seen its value in real scenarios. We’re excited to continue to pass that on to others and make it as relevant as possible.”
Cicerone will maintain its Chicago address, as Pratt is based in nearby Naperville, Illinois. Under new ownership, next steps for Cicerone “include focusing on the practical application of beer education, creating more ways to engage with Cicerone, and more proactively featuring people active in the Cicerone community,” according to the release.
The organization lists seven staff members, in addition to Daniels.