SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pabst Brewing Company, LLC (“Pabst”), one of North America’s largest privately held brewing companies, today announced that it has appointed Paul Chibe to succeed Eugene Kashper as Chief Executive Officer, effective December 1, 2021. Kashper will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors and continue to play an active role in the business.
Kashper stated, “Paul has an incredible knack for building great teams with a winning culture, and a track record of growing iconic brands and executing impactful innovation. Pabst achieved healthy top-line growth in 2021 and has many promising opportunities on the horizon. The Board is confident that Paul is the right leader for this next chapter of the company’s evolution, and we look forward to partnering with Paul to capitalize on our strong foundation and achieve great things together.”
Chibe is an accomplished executive with a 30-plus year track record of growing consumer brands in the U.S. He joins Pabst from Ferrero Group, the third-largest confectionery company in the world, where he recently served as Global President of Sugar Confectionery, and for most of his tenure as President and CEO of Ferrero North America, where he was responsible for Ferrero in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. He oversaw Ferrero's rapid category growth through organizational capability development, core business growth, M&A integration, and the successful launches of category leading innovation in the region.
Prior to Ferrero, Chibe was U.S. Chief Marketing Officer for Anheuser-Busch InBev, where he created the Budweiser “Made in America” concert series and launched the Bud Light Platinum and Rita brands. He also spent more than 10 years at Wrigley in senior marketing roles for its gum and mints brands. Paul started his career at Leaf, Inc., a confectionery company that was acquired by Hershey during his tenure.
“Pabst is an iconic company with deep roots in communities across the United States. I’m honored to work alongside Eugene and the rest of the hard-working and accomplished team,” said Chibe. “I have long admired the company and have a sincere connection to many of its brands. Pabst is a company with huge unrealized potential, and now is an exciting and pivotal time in the company’s history. We will unlock the opportunity to build a great future for Pabst through innovation and growth.”
Paul and his wife, Chalen, will reside in San Antonio, Texas, where Pabst is headquartered.
About Pabst
Founded in 1844, Pabst is one of North America’s largest privately held brewing companies. Pabst’s portfolio includes iconic brands with deep ties to America’s heritage, such as its flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon and others such as Lone Star, Rainier, Old Style, Stag, Stroh’s, and Old Milwaukee. Pabst embraces change and is continuously innovating to find new and interesting ways to connect with consumers both within and outside the beer category. Our company, our people, and our brands are committed to making a positive impact on communities across the country. For more information about Pabst, please visit www.pabst.com.