Cincinnati-headquartered Rhinegeist Brewery has hired former Stone Brewing VP of sales Adam Bankovich as its chief commercial officer (CCO).
As CCO, Bankovich will be tasked with overseeing “the development of Rhinegeist’s commercial strategies with a heightened focus on driving growth,” the company said. Bankovich will start with the company in early October.
Bankovich, an Ohio native and 20-year resident of Cincinnati, worked for more than nine years at Stone in several national accounts leadership roles before ascending to VP of sales in October 2019.
Prior to joining Stone, Bankovich served as a regional sales manager for Cavalier Distributing for more than four years.
“I vividly remember the turning point when Cincinnati really came into its own as a legit craft beer town,” Bankovich said in the release. “I’m so grateful for the years of experience and friendships I gained working around the country for Stone Brewing; at the same time I was watching all the energizing growth happening here in Cincinnati.
“Rhinegeist has become an incredible, iconic brand that resonates far beyond Ohio,” he continued. “Achieving that level of success requires everything working together, and I’m beyond excited to start my next chapter at Rhinegeist and bring my energy and experience to a team that has already accomplished so much.”
Rhinegeist CEO Michael Parks said the craft brewery was “fortunate to have found someone with Adam’s experience and deep Cincinnati connection to continue cementing our position as a major player in the craft industry.”
“Adam brings a seasoned, fresh perspective and people-first leadership style to align our sales and marketing efforts in an ever-complexifying market,” Rhinegeist founder Bryant Goulding added. “While we’ve been friends for many years, I am now excited to collaborate with Adam to shape and execute our vision for the future.”
Rhinegeist ranked as the 28th largest Brewers Association-defined craft brewery by volume in 2021, producing 103,561 barrels (+6% and holding a 0.42% share of the craft beer market). Earlier this year, the company launched a line of malt-based, fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages under the RGBevs umbrella.
RGBevs launched with three flavors inspired by previous Rhinegeist fruited ales – Bubbles (apple, peach and cranberry splash), Wowie Colada (pineapple and passionfruit colada) and Zango Crush (mango and blood orange smash) – as well as the brewery’s first “hard lemonade with a hint of lime,” Lemmy Nade. The company also launched Geist Tea, a hard tea brand, in March.
In August, the company rolled out a two-stage expansion into Houston, Texas, via Silver Eagle Distributors, starting with its RGBevs lineup and continuing this month with draft of its popular craft offerings Truth IPA, Cheetah lager, Glow fruited sour ale and Geist Tea.