Lille, 28th May 2024 – The Brewers of Europe is proud to announce today the appointment of Julia Leferman as the next Secretary General of The Brewers of Europe. Introduced at Lille 2024, the biggest event in the European brewing calendar, Mrs Leferman will formally take up her position on 1st August 2024.
With over twenty years’ experience in political advocacy and management consultancy, in the public and private sector, Leferman has served for the last seven years as General Manager of the Brewers of Romania. Under her leadership, the organisation has been at the forefront of creating the Romanian DRS, the biggest integrated deposit return system in Europe, building great public engagement. The Brewers of Europe President, Lasse Aho, stressed Julia Leferman was perfectly placed to lead the organisation at a time of transition in the European Union, a time of change in consumer markets, and a period of innovation amongst brewers.
Aho said: “With her experience both before and since becoming head of the Romanian Brewers, Julia has shown herself to be a skilled lobbyist, campaigner, negotiator and leader. This is a critical moment for both the European brewing sector and The Brewers of Europe and I feel confident knowing that we have Julia taking on that challenge, with support from the rest of the Brussels team and our members across Europe. We know she will be a champion of beer, brewing and brewers in Brussels and beyond.”
Aho added. “I would also like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to Pierre-Olivier Bergeron who, as Secretary General until 2023, oversaw the further professionalisation and establishment of The Brewers of Europe as a reputed organisation on the Brussels scene. We thank him for his hard work, impressive achievements and commitment to The Brewers of Europe. Finally, my thanks to Simon Spillane, who as Head of Operations, has ensured a smooth transition over the last twelve months, whilst continuing to lead The Brewers of Europe’s communications and advocacy work towards the EU Institutions.”
Julia Leferman said she was looking forward to being the voice of Europe’s brewers in Brussels. “There is no beverage more synonymous with Europe than beer. We have thousands of years of history, heritage and reinvention behind us. Beer is engrained in communities across our continent. Brewers can take pride in constantly innovating, driving the economy, supporting sustainability and bringing people together. The next five years are make or break for Europe. As we anticipate the next EU mandate, we are committed to engaging more with our partners and decision-makers. Beer is the right choice for Europe – for the economy, for local communities, for environmental sustainability and for responsible consumption,” she said.
Paying tribute to her predecessor and the reputation established by The Brewers of Europe as a reliable and trusted stakeholder, Leferman added: “I look forward to working alongside The Brewers of Europe team in Brussels and the extended brewers’ family across our members, for it is through collective effort that we truly thrive. I must thank the Romanian brewers for the opportunity they gave me seven years ago to enter the world of beer and set me on this journey.”
At yesterday evening’s General Assembly, The Brewers of Europe also elected:
- Peer Swinkels, CEO of Royal Swinkels, as Member of the Board representing the Western Europe region;
- Jorge Villavecchia, Director General of Damm, as Vice President, succeeding Jonathan Neame, CEO of Shepherd Neame;
- Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO of Asahi Europe & International, on a one-year extension to his mandate as Vice-President;
- Lasse Aho on a one-year extension to his mandate as President of The Brewers of Europe.
Contact:
Simon Spillane, Head of Operations, sws@brewersofeurope.org, @brewersofeurope
About The Brewers of Europe:
Based in Brussels, The Brewers of Europe brings together national brewers’ associations and companies from 28 European countries to support the united interests of Europe’s 10,000+ breweries. Our vision is to ensure a competitive, responsible and sustainable European brewing sector, creating shared value across the entire value chain and enriching European culture.