The trade association for U.S. craft brewers this week announced that its former chief economist, Bart Watson, would step into the role of president and CEO after the new year.
Watson will assume the Brewers Association’s top executive post after the retirement of Bob Pease on January 3. Watson joined the BA as chief economist in 2013, soon becoming a familiar face to brewery owners and operators across the country for his presentations of key statistics and trends, including the annual State of the Industry report at the Craft Brewers Conference.
“Bart’s in-depth understanding of the craft-beer industry and landscape and his decade-plus of experience within the Brewers Association [make] him uniquely poised to step into the president and CEO role on day one with a strategic vision and plan,” says BA board chair Leah Cheston in a news release.
The BA Board of Directors approved the selection of Watson on December 12, and he’ll officially assume the responsibilities on January 6.
“Craft has been going through a difficult period, and I am committed to finding ways to help our members navigate those challenges,” Watson says in the release. “Our members are incredibly innovative and adaptable entrepreneurs, and I’m ready to work with them and for them, to support their businesses and bring excitement back to the category.”
Pease spent 32 years working for the BA, starting as a customer service manager in 1993 for Charlie Papazian’s Association of Brewers. That group would merge in 2005 with the Brewers’ Association of America to form the BA, which named Pease the CEO in 2014.