Jan Niewodniczanski studied brewing engineering at the TU Munich/Weihenstephan and later went on to complete his MBA studies at the Graduate School of Business at Cape Town University. He then worked at Spaten Franziskaner and gained international experience with Anheuser Busch USA and San Miguel Breweries in the Philippines and in China. From 1995 until 2006 he worked in different leading positions at South African Breweries SAB Ltd in South Africa.
Since October 2006 he has been back in the family business and in management where he represents the 7th generation of family shareholders. His role: Managing Director Engineering and Environment at Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH.
Experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry at International level. Skilled in Marketing Management, Negotiation, Business Planning, Advertising, Sales and overall Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Strong business development professional graduated from ESADE with enhanced education from other prestigious institutions.
With over 22 years of experience in the global beer industry, I am a seasoned and passionate leader who drives growth, innovation, and excellence. My core competencies include identifying new opportunities, sales and marketing, business development, and strategy. As the Global Sales Director and Board Member at Budweiser Budvar, I am responsible for expanding and developing the activities of the Czech national brewer beyond its country of origin, while staying true to its heritage, quality, and authenticity.
In my current role, I lead a step change in the export business, overseeing a network of over 80 markets and managing a team of 100 people. I have a strong track record of delivering results, achieving double-digit growth in volume and revenue, securing global contracts and partnerships, launching and developing new products and brands. I also leverage my legal and international business background to navigate complex regulatory and trade environments, and to build trust and rapport with diverse stakeholders. I am always eager to learn, grow, and challenge myself, and to share my insights and expertise with others.
Benet has been Quality, R&D+i and Environment Director at Mahou San Miguel since 2016. Prior to this, he was Assistant Director of the same area. And from 2017 to 2021, he also held the position of Managing Director of the New Business Unit.
He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the Chemical Institute of Sarrià (IQS), with a specialisation in Organic Chemistry, and holds an MBA from EADA Business School and holds a Master in Brewing Technology from ESCEMA/UPM and ADECA at San Telmo BS in Sevilla He is currently the President of EBC (European Brewery Convention).
Benet has been part of the Mahou San Miguel team since 1997, when he joined as an Assistant in the Quality Division and Head of Projects.
CEO at Super Bock Group since 2015, Rui has joined the company in 2006 as CFO to later become Deputy CEO (2013).
With a 20-year long career in the banking industry (Banco BPI), he has background and experience in several areas, namely corporate finance, corporate banking, and private equity.
On top of his degree in Economics at FEP – Faculdade de Economia do Porto, Rui Lopes Ferreira has top management training at INSEAD (Advanced Management Program) and Harvard Business School (Senior Executive Leadership Program).
Holding relevant roles in various institutions in the region, namely being member of the Supervisory Board at Porto Business School and APGEI – Associação Portuguesa de Gestão e Engenharia Industrial.
Rui was Chairman of Cervejeiros de Portugal during the period of 2015 to 2018 has been recently reappointed as its Chairman (2023).
Emanuel Schäpper, is responsible for ELPRO’s global business management with key pharmaceutical companies and thus involved in many temperature monitoring projects in healthcare logistics. He has over 25 years experiences in sales, marketing and key account management, including 9 years at ELPRO. Emanuel is based at the company’s headquarters’ in Switzerland and holds a Master’s degree in economics and information management from University of Sankt Gallen Switzerland.
Patrik Senn, Head of Product Management at ELPRO, specializes in aligning the pharmaceutical industry’s demands with the development of temperature monitoring solutions. His career spans roles from Development Engineer to Project Manager, showcasing his versatility in project leadership and team management. Based in Switzerland, Patrik holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Engineering, reflecting his blend of technical skill and business acumen.
Highly regarded as something of a maverick within the drinks industry, Emma Wykes is a unique and inspirational leader with over 25 years of experience as an innovator and world-class leader in the field.
Emma was one of the founders of the non-alcoholic drinks category, leading the ground-breaking brand Seedlip through its first 5 years of growth and development and subsequent acquisition by Diageo. As Chief Operating Officer, with a spell as interim CEO, Emma was instrumental in Seedlip’s ascension from a niche non-alcoholic spirit to one of the most influential and transformative brands in the global drinks space.
Harnessing her unique management prowess, Emma implemented data driven processes whilst shaping a dynamic and inclusive company culture and environment that nurtured an intuitive and entrepreneurial spirit – a spirit that supported Seedlip’s rise to iconic status and created a whole new drinks category that revolutionised the global drinks market.
Prior to Seedlip, Emma worked with cutting edge agency, Marblehead Brand Development climbing through the ranks from Distributor to her first Managing Director Role in 2013. Emma managed Marblehead through a joint venture and acquisition by the Quintessential Brand Group in 2015, attracting top-class talent and expanding their portfolio to include several new brands including Don Papa Rum and the QB Gin portfolio (Bloom, Opihr).
A natural innovator, Emma was also at the start of the Gin renaissance in 1999 where, as Global Head of Sales and Marketing for Martin Millers Gin, she launched and grew the brand from a UK brand to an International one with accounts across Europe, US and Australia.
With a unique approach to work and life, Emma established a solid career path before completing a degree in Psychology and Philosophy through the Open University following the birth of her daughter Isobel in 2011. In 2022, she qualified as an ACC coach with the International Coaching federation, a role that proved key in the development of the team at Seedlip, teaching everyone how to be accountable, responsible and to self-solve.
