Change at the top | At the beginning of July 2021, Michel Doukeris assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Anheuser-Busch InBev, succeeding Carlos Brito, who has stepped down after 15 years as CEO.

“Research in brewing is always rooted in practice”

First year | The KU Leuven in Belgium has been searching for a successor to fill the post left by brewing scientist Prof. Guido Aerts at its Technology Campus in Ghent for some time. At the end of 2019, the university was finally able to find a successor. After an international search for a suitable candidate, a German national had been selected for the position, namely Dr. Florian Weiland, a Weihenstephan graduate. After his first year in Ghent, we spoke with the brewing professor about his German heritage and international experience in the brewing world.

New management | At the end of January 2021, the Belgian Brewers’ Board of Directors announced the appointment of Krishan Maudgal as director of the association.

VLB Berlin | Jan Biering took over the operational management of the VLB Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production (FIBGP). He succeeds Dr. Roland Pahl, who left the VLB at the end of January at his own request. Dr. Pahl will join Pall Corporation, a global specialist in filtration, separation and processing.

Editorial board | BrewingScience is pleased to announce two new additions to their team: In the past three months they were able to find an additional reviewer and a new member of the editorial board.

European Brewery Convention | On the 17th of November, the Board of The Brewers of Europe appointed Benet Fité as President of the European Brewery Convention (EBC), Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Fité succeeds Mr. Tiago Brandão, who has served as EBC President from 2015 to 2020.

Ireland | The maker of Magners cider, C&C Group, has appointed Heineken UK’s Managing Director David Forde, 52, as its new CEO. Mr Forde will join C&C at the latest in early 2021.

A Yakima Valley native | Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a 100% grower-owned global hop supplier for the craft brewing industry, has introduced Ryan Hopkins as YCH’s new Chief Executive Officer, promoting Hopkins from Chief Sales Officer.

BrewingScience | The scientific journal BrewingScience published by Fachverlag Hans Carl in Nuremberg is looking forward to active support from science and practice: Four new experts from Germany and abroad have been strengthening the international group of experts since January 2020.

Direct point of contat | Ziemann Holvrieka GmbH is further expanding its international sales network. In the future, Gustavo Acioli will be the direct point of contact for the brewing, beverage, ethanol and liquid food industry in Brazil.

KU Leuven | The long-standing vacancy as successor to Prof. Guido Aerts at the Ghent Technology Campus of KU Leuven, Belgium, has now been filled. After the tragic passing away of the initially appointed successor Prof. Koen Goiris, Florian Weiland was appointed on 1 October 2019.

Obituary | Heinrich Joh. Barth, for many years a managing partner of Joh. Barth & Sohn, died on December 10, 2019 at the age of 93.

Obituary | Prof. Gabriela Basařová, DrSc, MSc, died on 16 October 2019 after a tragic traffic accident. Prof. Basařová was born on 17 January 1934 in Pilsen to a family of teachers.

Personal commitment pays off

Professional exchange | Johann Angres, Managing Director of Steinfurth Messsysteme in Essen, Germany, received a great honor in April of 2019. He is the first German ever to be elected to the board of the ISBT. Never heard of the ISBT? The International Society of Beverage Technologists is the MEBAK or EBC of the soft drink industry. And because we also were not familiar with the ISBT, we decided to visit Johann Angres in Bochum to find out more about the association, his appointment to the board and the changes currently taking place at his company.