James McGreevy named president and CEO of the Beer Institute

A photo of the spectacularly named James A. McGreevy III.

The Beer Institute, representing “all of America’s brewers, beer importers and industry suppliers,” recently announced the appointment of James A. McGreevy III to president and CEO of the trade association. McGreevy, 49, joins the Beer Institute from the American Beverage Association (ABA), where he was senior vice president of government affairs.

“In Jim we found an exceptional leader with a clear understanding of how to represent the nation’s brewers and beer importers before Congress and others who write and influence policy and regulation,” said Tom Long, Beer Institute chairman and CEO of MillerCoors. “He has a record of leadership and is a proven advocate. We are certain that Jim’s work with non-alcohol beverage producers will translate to the beer industry.”

“Jim’s talents and experience are the right fit for the Beer Institute. Beer faces many challenges on a host of complex industry issues, but Jim’s record gives us confidence in his leadership. We welcome him to the beer family,” said Luiz Edmond, incoming Beer Institute chairman and CEO of Anheuser-Busch.

The Beer Institute Board of Directors made the announcement of McGreevy’s selection in advance of the Beer Institute’s Annual Membership Meeting, an industry-wide forum to be held May 13 in Washington, D.C. McGreevy’s official start date at the BI will be on June 23. The position of president has been vacant since December, after the departure of Joe McClain.

As president, McGreevy will lead the Beer Institute’s efforts to represent the industry before federal and state lawmakers, regulators and others in public forums both inside the Beltway and out.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the beer family. I look forward to leading the Beer Institute staff and working with our diverse membership to take on what I know are complex and challenging issues,” McGreevy said. “I’m familiar with the job of representing a diverse constituency and the job of finding unity and consensus among otherwise fierce competitors. It’s exciting to take the lead of this industry at a time when we have so much to do.”

Since 2005, McGreevy has led the federal, state and local government affairs operation at ABA. Under his tenure at the trade association, representing non-alcoholic beverage producers, distributors, franchise companies and support industries, he responded to challenges related to taxes, health and nutrition, and labeling with great success.

From 1999 to 2005, McGreevy was an associate with Larkin Hoffman Law Firm in Minnesota. In that position, he represented client interests before the Minnesota Legislature and administrative agencies. Immediately prior to that position, he served as Assistant to the Senate Majority Leader for the Minnesota State Senate, where he was a policy aide to then Majority Leader Roger D. Moe.

McGreevy also served as a lead advance person for the 2004 Kerry-Edwards Presidential campaign, deputy finance director for the 1998 Humphrey for Governor campaign, finance director for the DFL Senate Caucus campaign and Northeast Pennsylvania field director for the 1992 Clinton-Gore Presidential campaign.

McGreevy received a B.A. from Seton Hall University and a J.D. from the University of Bridgeport School of Law. He also was a Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute in 2003-2004. McGreevy lives in the District of Columbia with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Elizabeth.