Australia/USA: Darren Smith to succeed Greg Friberg as President of GrainCorp Malt

Darren Smith will be appointed as president of GrainCorp Malt and join GrainCorp’s Executive Leadership Team, following GregFribergwho decided to retire at the end of this year. Smith has held various positions within GrainCorp Malt and its individual companies, inter alia five years as production manager at Great Western Malting plants in Pocatello, ID, and Vancouver, WA; nine years as Director of Sales at Canada Malting Company; and most recently four years as Chief Operations Officer at GrainCorp Malt. From 2011 until 2014 he acted as a managing partner of RMI Analytics, an independent advisory firm specialized in brewing raw materials.

In his last position he reported to Greg Friberg, who will retire in three months, after being 37 years in agribusiness and some 21 years in the malting industry. Friberg will hand over his job as President, GrainCorp Malt as of 1 January 2019 but will remain as an advisor to GrainCorp Malt through to 31 March 2019.

Greg Friberg led GrainCorp’s malting business, which is one of the five largest malting groups in the world, since September 2013. During his tenure he completed an expansion of the Pocatello/Idaho plant from 100.000 to 220.000 tons of processed barley (inside.beer, 6.7.2017), bought the largest distributor of craft-brewing ingredients in Australia (inside.beer, 13.10.2017) and sold the German business unit Schill Malz, which his predecessor Steve Haydon had bought only 6 years before. (inside.beer, 16.5.2017)

GrainCorp Managing Director & CEO Mark Palmquist paid tribute to Mr Friberg: “The consistent strong performance of the Malt business unit over recent years is testament to Greg and the passionate focus on customers he has applied,” Mr Palmquist said.

“Under Greg’s leadership GrainCorp Malt has established an excellent position and reputation with brewers and distillers. We have built a strong team and have had a sound succession plan in place for some time. It is pleasing to fill such an important role with an outstanding internal candidate. Darren has an extensive background in the malting industry, positive relationships with our customers and a thorough understanding of their needs.”

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