On Thursday, the executive committee of German Brewers Association (DBB) has elected Dr. Jörg Lehmann (47) as new president of the organization. Dr. Lehmann is chief technology officer (CTO) at Kulmbacher Brauerei and is responsible for production, logistics and purchasing of the brewing group that sold 3.2 million hectoliters of beer and beverages in 2016. He joined the Franconia based company in 2012 after serving 6 years as managing director of Spaten Franziskaner Bräu and as CTO of Löwenbräu, which are both based in Munich and part of AB InBev in Germany.
The DBB consist of 6 regional units and several major brewing groups as direct members. After several quarrels within the association, Lehmann’s predecessor Dr. Hans-Georg Eils (59) was successful in unifying the association and restoring the peace. He was even able to regain members who had already left the organization. For his work as president of the DBB in the past 6 years Dr. Eils was elected honorary president of the association on Thursday.
The same day the assembly also appointed Winfried Kretschmann, Prime Minister of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg new ambassador of beer. In his inaugural address he pointed out, that he has a close link to thze brewing industry, not only as a consumer but also as head of one the most successful breweries in Germany. Rothaus is a state owned brewery under control of the state Baden-Württemberg. As a member of the green party he jokingly lamented the name of the brewery which stands for red house in German.
Kretschmann took office from the former ambassador of beer, Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, second highest representative of the German state in his role as President of German Parliament. In his farewell address Prof. Lammert said, he would have liked to serve longer in this honorary office because “it caused much more pleasure than my official role in politics”.
Last to address a few words to the auditorium was Christian Schmidt, German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, who assumed the role as ambassador of beer in 2015.
