David Phillips Appointed COO at Shipyard
Portland, Maine-headquartered Shipyard Brewing has appointed David Phillips as chief operating officer, the company announced this week.
Phillips’ ties to Shipyard date back to 2019 when he led the brand’s launch in his home country of Australia.
The COO role is a newly created position for Shipyard, and Phillips will be tasked with growing the brand’s reach into local and international markets, the company said.
Phillips helped drive beer tourism in Australia and served as festival director of Sydney Beer Week, managing director of the Institute of Beer in Australia, owner of Dave’s Brewery Tours and co-owner of Aussie Ale Trails.
“Dave has a wealth of operational and business leadership experience and being Australian, has certainly brought a few new ways of thinking to us, if not some language we still don’t understand,” Fred Forsley, founder and owner of Shipyard Brewing Company, said in a press release. “He was instrumental in expanding Shipyard Downunder and establishing our presence there, and since then has been working closely with us and our U.K. team on our future global strategy.”
Phillips will report to Shipyard president Bruce Forsley.
Shipyard’s offerings are brewed and distributed under a licensing agreement in Australia and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., the company recently launched Pumpkinhead Hard Seltzer.
Shipyard ranked as the 46th largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery by volume in 2020, producing 51,250 barrels of beer, a -21% decline year-over-year.
Joe Heaton to Exit Beer Institute
Joe Heaton will depart the Beer Institute (BI) after serving as senior director of federal affairs for the national trade organization, president and CEO Jim McGreevy announced this week. Heaton’s last day is August 2.
Heaton is relocating to Denver to lead government affairs for the Forian Corporation, which provides data and analytics to the cannabis and healthcare industries.
“Joe played a significant role in many of the beer industry’s legislative successes over the last few years,” McGreevy wrote. “His work to lower federal excise tax rates for the entire beer industry earned him one of Brewbound’s 2020 Persons of the Year.
“I hope you all join me in wishing Joe the best of luck in his new job and move out West!”
“Working at the Beer Institute on behalf of America’s brewers and beer importers has been a genuine honor,” Heaton told Brewbound. “In my six years at the BI, we have amassed a laundry list of legislative and policy victories of which I am particularly proud. While I will miss my colleagues and friends in the beer industry, I’m raising a glass to our accomplishments, and to my new opportunity ahead.”
McGreevy asked the organization’s members to direct legislative questions to him.
The BI recently announced the hiring of Danelle Kosmal as vice president of research. Kosmal has led market research firm NielsenIQ’s beverage alcohol practice for the last seven years.
Constellation Brands Hires Liz Lopez as VP of Public Affairs
Constellation Brands has appointed Liz Lopez as vice president of public affairs to serve as the company’s lead on issues related to cannabis policy in the U.S.
Lopez will be tasked with representing Constellation’s “interests at the international, federal, and state levels, working cross-functionally with all aspects of the business,” the company announced Thursday.
“As the legislative environment continues to evolve, it is critical to Constellation’s long-term success that our voice is heard by decision makers on issues that matter to our business and to the communities where we live and work,” Matt Stanton, Constellation Brands senior VP of public affairs, said in a release. “We will greatly benefit from Liz’s impressive depth of knowledge and proven track record of advancing business objectives with the House and Senate leadership, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, national community organizations, and many other key Washington, D.C., stakeholders.”
Lopez, who is based in Washington, D.C., brings more than 15 years of experience to Constellation and an “extensive background in public policy, regulatory, and governance.” She most recently worked as in-house counsel and senior director of economic development for YWCA USA. She is also a founding member of the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition, which launched in January 2021, and served as president of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association from 2019 to 2020.
“I look forward to developing and strengthening relationships with key decision makers and influencers, and working to ensure the issues that matter most to our business, our employees, and our communities are being discussed and considered,” Lopez said.
Constellation Brands owns nearly 39% of Canadian cannabis firm Canopy Growth.
Urban South-HTX Adds Nathan Garcia as Sales and Distribution Manager
Urban South-HTX has added Nathan Garcia as manager of the New Orleans’ craft brewery’s sales and distribution business in Texas.
The company said Garcia will be responsible for directing “all on-premise and off-premise sales of package products, including taproom release management, in-state retail customers, out-of-state distributor management and direct-to-consumer sales.”
“Nate is a self-starter with extensive upper management experience and a passion for craft beer, which is why he stood out as a fit for the Urban South team,” Dave Ohmer, general manager of Urban South-HTX, said in a release. “We look forward to watching him grow in this role and know our partners and clients will enjoy working with him as much as we do.”
Garcia is a newcomer to the beer industry, having most recently worked for several outdoor-focused companies, including serving as site manager at Go Ape Treetop Adventure, director at Nomads Outdoor Adventure, and director of operations at the Adventure Park at Storrs.
“I’ve always appreciated the craft beer atmosphere and the culture surrounding this industry,” Garcia said in a release. “Even before I was working in the industry, I loved visiting different breweries and tasting new beer with my friends. The pandemic changed my career path and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to develop hands-on experience in the craft beer space while building relationships within the local community. My experience at Urban South-HTX has been a great one so far.”
Urban South-HTX has released more than 230 unique beers and packaged more than 300,000 cans during its first year, the company said.