Christian Weber elected president of the Brewers of Europe

Warsaw | On Tuesday, 13 May 2025, the Brewers of Europe’s General Assembly elected Mr Christian Weber, CEO of the Karlsberg brewery and current president of the German Brewers’ Association (Deutscher Brauer-Bund), as its new president.

Christian Weber studied economics at the University of Edinburgh and then worked in the food and beverage industry abroad, including in Switzerland and Ghana. Weber later worked for Heineken in Austria. In 2010, he joined his family’s brewery Karlsberg Brauerei KG Weber. Before being elected President of the German Brewers‘ Association (DBB), Christian Weber was Vice-President of the DBB and of The Brewers of Europe. His father, Dr Richard Weber, was also President of The Brewers of Europe from 1992 to 1996.

Weber takes over the helm from Mr Lasse Aho, who has steered The Brewers of Europe ship as its President over what has been a particularly challenging five years for the European beer sector, buffeted by a global pandemic, closures in the horeca sector, spiralling costs, changing societal trends and a challenging political environment.

Equipped to meet the challenges

Addressing the General Assembly of The Brewers of Europe, Christian Weber shared his conviction that the European level is becoming ever more important for our industry, stating: “The challenges and opportunities that we face every day as an association and in the breweries do not stop at national borders. It is important to strengthen networking and the exchange of experience, beyond existing association structures and to collectively support policy frameworks that are fit for purpose. The Brewers of Europe is a strong association, well-respected in Brussels and with a broad network equipped to meet the challenges”.

Citing key political issues like excessive bureaucracy and regulations, energy costs and packaging policy, Weber stressed: “Further strengthening dialogue with policymakers, making the brewing industry’s positions clear and making the positive case for beer in the world of today and the future are where I would like to make my contribution, for the benefit of all breweries. Whilst we still have a relatively new European Commission and Parliament, I am confident that The Brewers of Europe and its members, together with the rest of the beer value chain, can be valuable and responsible partners in helping Europe steer towards a sustainable, prosperous future for its citizens and brewers alike.”