Julia Leferman named secretary general of Brewers of Europe
The Brewers of Europe has announced the appointment of Julia Leferman as the next secretary general of The Brewers of Europe. Introduced at Lille 2024, the biggest event in the European brewing calendar, Leferman will formally take up her position on 1 August 2024.
With more than twenty years’ experience in political advocacy and management consultancy, in the public and private sector, Leferman has served for the last seven years as general manager of the Brewers of Romania. Under her leadership, the organisation has been at the forefront of creating the Romanian deposit return scheme (DRS), the biggest integrated DRS in Europe, building great public engagement.
The Brewers of Europe president, Lasse Aho, stressed that Leferman was perfectly placed to lead the organisation at a time of transition in the European Union, a time of change in consumer markets, and a period of innovation amongst brewers.
Lasse Aho, president, Brewers of Europe, said: “With her experience both before and since becoming head of the Romanian Brewers, Julia has shown herself to be a skilled lobbyist, campaigner, negotiator and leader. This is a critical moment for both the European brewing sector and The Brewers of Europe and I feel confident knowing that we have Julia taking on that challenge, with support from the rest of the Brussels team and our members across Europe. We know she will be a champion of beer, brewing and brewers in Brussels and beyond.”
Aho added: “I would also like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to Pierre-Olivier Bergeron who, as Secretary General until 2023, oversaw the further professionalisation and establishment of The Brewers of Europe as a reputed organisation on the Brussels scene. We thank him for his hard work, impressive achievements and commitment to The Brewers of Europe. Finally, my thanks to Simon Spillane, who as Head of Operations, has ensured a smooth transition over the last twelve months, whilst continuing to lead The Brewers of Europe’s communications and advocacy work towards the EU Institutions.”
Julia Leferman said: “There is no beverage more synonymous with Europe than beer. We have thousands of years of history, heritage and reinvention behind us. Beer is engrained in communities across our continent. Brewers can take pride in constantly innovating, driving the economy, supporting sustainability and bringing people together. The next five years are make or break for Europe.
“As we anticipate the next EU mandate, we are committed to engaging more with our partners and decision-makers. Beer is the right choice for Europe – for the economy, for local communities, for environmental sustainability and for responsible consumption.”