Jamie Cook has announced that he will step down as Chair of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA), with the board unanimously electing Wayward Founder, Pete Philip to take his place.
With Philip stepping into the role of Chair, Ballistic’s Dave Kitchen will now lead the Advocacy Project Group, which he has been a member of for the last year.
Cook also retired from his role as CEO of Fermentum at the end of December and as a part of his retirement, he has said that he plans to spend a lot of 2020 overseas.
During his time as Chair, the IBA has successfully rolled out a Seal of Independence, launched Indie Beer Day to bring together breweries, venues and drinkers around the country, and has overall been instrumental in raising awareness of Indie Beer since the decision was made to rename the association from the Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA) to the Independent Brewers Association (IBA).
In a statement to members, Cook said: “I believe it is in the best interests of the IBA for me to step down as Chair to ensure that the team and the board are fully supported as we undertake another massive year of resource development, advocacy and event management.
“With this move and such strong momentum behind the development of the IBA and the industry, it is important that there is good continuity at the leadership level and to that end the Board has established a new succession policy around the appointment of the role of Chair.
“The Board has agreed that the role of Chair on the Board is best filled by a Director who has already had a couple of years’ experience on the Board. Whilst this will mean the role of Chair could change hands every year it will provide greater continuity and more experience to the position.
“In line with these changes, the Board has unanimously elected Pete Philip as Chairman who will see out the position for the last year of his tenure on the IBA Board, effective immediately.
“Pete has been a very active member of the Board and despite the pressures of managing a growing business in Wayward he has led many of the IBA’s developments including recently the development of the Supporter Seal program and leading our advocacy Project Group. I join the rest of the board, and I’m sure all of our members, in wishing Pete all the best as he leads the IBA through 2020.
“I have enjoyed my time in the role as IBA Chair and whilst it may have been a little more work than I signed up for, I have enjoyed building a strong executive team, merging GBW with the IBA, and establishing a strong set of Project Groups to bring volunteer expertise to the forefront of developing the industry.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity I have had to give back to an industry that has helped me develop and grow personally over many years and has also provided me with such amazing business opportunities and friendships along the way. I will be helping with Pete’s transition into the role and will also be driving the recruitment and induction of the General Manager into their role over the coming months.”