New Belgium announced this week the appointment of Steve Fechheimer as Chief Executive Officer. Steve will oversee New Belgium’s executive team, short-term strategy, industry leadership, and day-to-day operations. Steve joins New Belgium from Beam Suntory, the world’s third-largest premium spirits company.
Steve replaces Kim Jordan, New Belgium’s co-founder and former CEO, who has been serving as interim CEO. Kim will continue to serve as the Executive Chair of the Brewery’s Board of Directors and will work with the Board to oversee long-term strategy and vision for New Belgium.
“We are so excited to welcome Steve to New Belgium,” said Jordan. “His expertise at strategy development and execution in the high-end world of spirits, coupled with our 26 years of solid brewing and branding, is a perfect setup for the kind of dynamic future New Belgium is planning. Steve is smart and driven while also being approachable, and we’re all excited about the perfect cultural and business fit. We took our time to find a terrific candidate and feel very lucky that we’ve done just that.”
Steve most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer at Beam Suntory. In that capacity, he led organic growth initiatives such as route-to-market design and distributor negotiations. He also led acquisitions, divestitures, the creation of global partnerships and the overall strategic planning process. In his nearly eight-year tenure at Beam Suntory, Steve has had wide ranging experiences including senior roles in marketing, sales, finance and IT.
“I’m excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead such a wonderful company,” said Fechheimer. “New Belgium, with its incredible history and heritage, has an amazingly bright future, and I look forward to working with Kim, the leadership team and all of the nearly 800 coworkers to build upon our great foundation.”
Prior to Beam Suntory, Steve served as Chief Operating Officer of Sierra Club Green Home, and also as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group and Marakon Associates. Steve holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and earned his undergraduate degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Steve is moving to Fort Collins and will start in his new position as CEO in mid-August.
New Belgium is also excited to announce the appointment of Joe Davis as Chief Operating Officer and Jenn Vervier as interim Vice President of Marketing. Joe has been a member of New Belgium’s leadership team since 2013 and, in addition to being promoted to this new position, will continue to serve as the company’s General Counsel. Jenn assumes oversight of Marketing responsibilities at New Belgium after the recent departure of Ruairi Twomey. Jenn has been a dynamic leader within the company for more than 20 years and previously served as Director of Strategy and Sustainability.
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