Last month, Dominic Engels resigned from the position of chief executive officer at Stone Brewing, sending the country’s ninth-largest craft brewery on a search for someone to fill his shoes. It didn’t take long for them to find a candidate they believe will jibe with their ethos. Today, the company announced that they have hired Maria Stipp as their new CEO.
Like Engels, she brings experience in other industries, but unlike her predecessor, she possesses a great deal of relevant brewing-industry experience. For the past five years, she was the CEO of Northern California’s Lagunitas Brewing, a Heineken-owned brand with a portfolio and outspoken persona similar to Stone’s. Her résumé also includes time spent working for Miller Brewing Company, as well as Kellogg’s, ecoATM and Activision, where she was responsible for the popular Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises.
“[Ms. Stipp] brings experience from a very well-respected brewery, and experience from outside the industry, too,” says Stone co-founder Steve Wagner, who served as interim CEO and will continue to do so until Stipp officially assumes her role on September 14. “She lives up to our values and has long admired our revolutionary spirit. Most importantly, she’s someone co-founder Greg Koch and I are honored and excited to work with.”
Wagner adds that the latter is a “must,” because both he and Koch intend to remain with the company in significant, participatory roles. But Stipp will sit squarely in the captain’s chair, overseeing Stone’s breweries on the West and East Coast, its hospitality venues (two Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens restaurants, plus seven Stone Brewing Tap Room locations), Stone Distributing Co. and distribution of Stone beers to all 50 states and more than 40 countries. She will also sit on the company’s board of directors.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Maria to Team Stone. She has experience with companies both similar and quite different than our own. We’ll no doubt benefit from her strong leadership,” says Koch. “In addition, she is clearly passionate about the beers, the ideals and the philosophies that Stone represents. I’m excited, knowing that we’re bringing a leader on who’s already clearly one of our own. We welcome her with great enthusiasm and promise.”