Press Release

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, NBWA President and CEO Craig Purser issued the following statement:

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Ivan Menezes. I first met Ivan when he was running the U.S. business for Diageo. During that time, he oversaw the company’s meteoric growth in beverage alcohol, the expansion of Guinness and its entire beer portfolio, as well as the development of the flavored malt beverage category. What always struck me was the incredible vision Ivan brought to celebrating individual brands and their unique attributes. He spoke passionately about his products, but he also recognized and celebrated the value of brands owned by his competitors. Ivan was a visionary and transformational leader in the global alcohol industry whose energy will be sorely missed. My condolences to all of Sir Ivan’s family and all his friends.”