Dive Brief:
Dive Insight:
In naming Keane to the CEO post, American Beverage is going with a leader who is familiar with the industry and the topics that are most important to its members — a factor that undoubtedly played a key role in his appointment.
“Kevin has an exceptional depth of knowledge and experience to bring to bear in this role,” Matthew Dent, American Beverages chair and the CEO of Buffalo Rock Company, a longtime Pepsi bottler in Alabama.
Keane has served on the leadership team of American Beverage for nearly 20 years and has overseen a wide range of industry initiatives while managing a team in Washington, D.C., and in states across the country. Prior to taking the CEO post, he served as executive vice president of the government and public affairs department for the association.
American Beverage is the latest trade group in the food and beverage industry to see a change in leadership at the top during the last year. The Consumer Brands Association named David Chavern, the head of a news industry trade group, as its CEO, and the Beer Institute picked Brian Crawford to its top post.
