CLEVELAND — Great Lakes Brewing Co. CEO Mark King resigned as chief executive of the Cleveland-based brewery last month, the company announced Thursday.
According to a media release, King resigned from his post on April 24.
"King joined GLBC in October 2019 and was integral to the Company’s success through Covid and beyond, including the stabilization of the core portfolio while spearheading new product innovations," the company said.
King has been replaced effective immediately by Chief Commercial Officer Chris Brown and Chief Operations Officer Steven Pauwels, who will serve as interim co-CEOs.
"Co-CEOs are new for GLBC, and an opportunity that combines Brown’s sales, marketing, and stakeholder expertise with Pauwels’ operational, quality control, and workforce proficiencies," GLBC said.
Brown has been with Great Lakes since 2020, serving as vice president of sales before being promoted to CCO. He was previously an executive with Atlanta-based Scofflaw Brewing Company.
Pauwels joined GLBC as COO in 2022 after spending 22 years at Missouri's Boulevard Brewing Company. GLBC said Pauwels "has been directly instrumental in GLBC’s quality improvements, elevated operational processes, and product innovation successes."
GLBC said both Brown and Pauwels have contributed to a strong first trimester for the company.
“Since our inception, we’ve operated with the two of us steering the ship, so having another two at the helm feels natural,” said Patrick Conway, who co-founded the brewery with his brother David Conway in 1988.