Executive Biography

EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHY

Steve Villani, President

Global Beer Network

As president of Global Beer Network, Steve Villani spearheads all aspects of the beer importing company, including strategizing with brewers, employees and wholesalers to grow the business. He directs sales and marketing management, national account sales, federal and state licensing, brewer relations and cash flow management. Based in Middleton, Mass., Global Beer Network is the exclusive U.S. importer for eight award-winning Belgian breweries and one Czech brewery. The company imports nearly 60 Belgian beer labels, including Gulden Draak, Wittekerke, Petrus, Piraat, and Praga from the Czech Republic.

Villani has more than two decades’ experience working in beer sales, marketing, wholesaling and importing. He spent 17 years with Anheuser-Busch, the leading American brewer which operates 12 breweries across the United States. His time with Anheuser-Busch encompassed multiple disciplines including wholesaler management, geographic grassroots marketing, national account sales, shelf space management, and corporate and executive management. Villani also spent time as a sales director for Crown Imports, the U.S. importer and distributor of the Modelo brand and other beer labels.

Global Beer Network was founded in 1994 in an effort to bring Belgian beers to North America, many for the very first time. Forecasting a change in consumer beer trends, Villani recognized that Belgian beers combine the very best in taste, passion and business opportunity. In 2007, he aquired Global Beer Network with plans to leverage his passion for beer and to grow awareness for Belgian beers to inspire a new generation of beer enthusiasts.

The highlight of Villani’s professional career came in 2011 when he was knighted with the title, Knighthood of the Mashstaff, by the Belgian Brewers Association. This title pays tribute to Gambrinus and Saint Arnold, and honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to brewing. Gambrinus is the unofficial patron saint of beer or beer brewing. Saint Arnold is the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers.

Villani is a graduate of Northeastern University, Boston Mass., and earned a Masters of Business from Boston’s Suffolk University.

For more information on Global Beer Network, visit www.globalbeer.com.

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Media Contacts for Global Beer Network:

Peridot Group Inc.

Kristi Arndt: 763-782-0265/cell, 612-803-0861

Mark Sejvar: 323-363-3530