Glenn Cooper retires from Coopers Brewery

By James Wells

Glenn Cooper has announced that he has stepped down as Coopers Brewery sales and marketing director and will be replaced in the role by Cameron Pearce.

Cooper informed the trade of the announcement at the launch of the 2014 Vintage Ale at the best selling Coopers venue in the country – The Steyne Hotel in Manly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

As a fifth generation member of the Cooper family, Glenn Cooper will not leave the company altogether, and will remain on the board as non-executive chairman.

“Effective 1 July, I have officially retired from the brewery, and will no longer be sales and marketing director, but I am staying on as non-executive chairman. I am pleased to announce that Cam Pearce, an existing director with the company, has taken over the role," Cooper said.

“Cam will do a good job – he has been a director of the brewery for a few years and he has experience outside of the company as well."

'The Wolf Blass of Coopers'

"My aspiration is to become the Wolf Blass of the Coopers business, and enjoy a bit more time on the golf course," said Cooper.

He revealed that he had also recently been appointed chairman of Australian Made and Australian Grown. [continues below]

The organisation, which is well known for its ‘green and gold triangle’ logo, is a not-for-profit company established in 1999 by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in conjunction with state and federal governments. 

The company licenses the use of the Australian Grown and Australian Made logos which promote the local origin of products domestically and internationally.

Cooper (pictured), who has been on the board for five years, was approached to join the organisation by another well-known South Australian businessman and former board member of the Reserve Bank, Robert Gerard.

"Australia has been a little over-generous with its imports in my opinion and I feel as though we have let down the local farmers. If you think of the most democratic country in the world, the USA, they protect their farmers. By contrast, our doors are open wider than any other country," Cooper said.

“In the meantime, we are seeing a proliferation of Australian logos. We already have a logo that carries the same colours that our athletes carry internationally and it also features a symbol of a kangaroo that is also carried around the world by our national airline, Qantas." 

I don’t know why we have to keep reinventing the wheel at a cost of millions of dollars. The government needs to start supporting a logo that is recognised around the world. People recognise the green and gold triangle logo – so let’s utilise it,” he said.