Beer Public Relations Executives: Anheuser-Busch, Heineken and MillerCoors
Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, Heineken (known for not only its eponymous well-loved lager but Dos Equis, Newcastle and Amstel Light as well) and MillerCoors, make up three of the world’s biggest and most popular names in beer brewing. Together, they comprise well above half of the United States’ beer consumption. They hire communications professionals making their brands shine and providing tactful and responsible strategies. In an industry where striking a balance between profit margins and corporate responsibility is so crucial, PR and marketing executives truly get the opportunity to distinguish themselves. Here are some of the best:
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Roche graduated from the Military Academy at West Point in 1984. Mr. Roche brings a law degree along with five years of active duty in the military to his work with Anheuser-Busch. He joined Anheuser-Busch in 1999 after a stint practicing law as a civil trial attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, doing product liability and business litigation.
Public relations specialist Jason Mudd is a part of the Axia public relations agency. He works specifically with the Budweiser brand within Anheuser-Busch. Mudd, no stranger to PR for alcohol, worked with Southern Comfort and Miller Lite; among his other top-name clients including restaurant and leisure outlets with connections to the alcohol industry, including Dave and Buster’s and Pizza Hut. Among his specialties are spokesperson training and crisis communications management.
Lisa Weser works brand PR for a number of Anheuser-Busch’s beers, including Budweiser, Bud Lite, Stella Artois, Shock Top, Goose Island, and LandShark Lager. Since her work encompasses the brands for almost fifty percent of all beer sold in America, she works dynamically with five separate public relations agencies to manage her clients. Weser joined Anheuser-Busch from FleishmanHillard in St. Louis and notes one of the most difficult parts of the job creates communication strategies encouraging both sustained beer consumption and responsibility among consumers.
Heineken
Nuno Teles joined Heineken USA as their Chief Marketing Officer in March 2014 after having worked as CMO for Heineken Brazil for a number of years. He began his career with Unilever, proceeding to work with Coca-Cola before beginning his tenure with Heineken. Teles hails from Portugal, and once ran his own fashion retail and wholesale business. He joined the company at a critical juncture, with sales of Heineken significantly falling and distinguished his work through his keen grasp of digital marketing.
PR specialist Tara Rush was promoted to Senior Vice President and chief corporate relations officer of Heineken in June 2015; prior to that, she served as senior director of corporate communications. Rush’s responsibility entails corporate and brand PR, employee and distributor engagement, crisis communications, reputation management, corporate events, philanthropic efforts, and consumer affairs. She joined Heineken after launching Emanates Los Angeles office in 2007, and past work experience includes Ketchum, Edelman, and Weber Shandwick in New York.
Jim Tsokanos joined Heineken as an agent of Manning, Selvage and Lee (MSL), which Heineken USA hired in 2006 to direct its corporate communications. The USA’s largest beer importer, Heineken sought out MSL for its eye toward responsible marketing; Tsokanos worked out of their New York office beforehand and also served as Managing Director and Executive Vice President at the New York Office of Publicis Group.
Miller Coors
David Kroll joined MillerCoors as Chief Marketing Officer in July 2015, replacing former CMO Andy England. Gavin Hattersley put Kroll into his position on only his second day as MillerCoors Interim CEO, possibly concerned about the falling popularity of its two flagship brands: Coors Light and Miller Lite. Kroll proves successful so far in steering MillerCoors in the right direction, citing a commitment to brand consistency as the centerpiece of his communications strategy.
Marty Maloney became MillerCoors’ Manager of Media Relations in June 2015 — not long before David Kroll joined the team. With public relations experience in a number of major Chicago firms, both public and private — past clients include the White Sox and the Chicago Police Department — Maloney began his career with an internship at the Orlando Magic. He worked with a number of communications agencies throughout his career, including Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock and Lynn Hazan and Associates.
Communications specialist Kirby Nardo launched her career in the consumer relations wing of global PR giant Weber Shandwick, training as a professional media spokesperson. Before joining MillerCoors, she worked with a number of food brand campaigns, including, the National Pork Board, Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh, and the got milk? campaign.
