After an incredible forty-seven years with the business, Richard Westwood will retire from CMBC at the end of May and will take a part-time adviser role to the JV Board.

 Richard began his career with Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries plc in 1976 in Quality Assurance, based at Banks’s Brewery, having completed a university placement with the business six months prior, in 1975. The brewery secured his services despite stiff competition from Guinness and Watney’s and funded his Masters in Brewing Science and Biochemistry at Birmingham University. Richard progressed into a variety of roles including Shift Brewer and Third Brewer, and roles in packaging, engineering, logistics and projects. He was appointed Head Brewer for Banks’s and Hanson’s in 1988, Brewing and Logistics Director in 1998 and from 2004 onwards, he took up commercial roles in export and off-trade as Supply Chain and Commercial Director.

 Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries was renamed Marston’s Plc in 2007 having grown to be one of the most successful pub operators and brewers in the UK, rapidly expanding through multiple acquisitions. These included Cameron’s (1992), Marston’s Brewery (1999), Mansfield Brewery (2001), Jennings Brewery (2004), Ringwood (2007), Wychwood (2008), Thwaites (2015) and Charles Wells (2017). Richard was heavily involved in these alongside several other pub-only deals. 2010 was also a significant year for Richard as he invented Fast Cask, which reduced the settlement period required to serve cask beer, making it accessible to more pubs across the UK.

 In 2013, Richard was appointed Managing Director for Marston’s Beer Company (MBC), leading many of the acquisitions whilst also building beer brands that remain at the heart of the CMBC portfolio today, including securing Shipyard, Estrella Damm and growing Hobgoblin. During his tenure as MD, Richard helped to create a beer business worth over £580m. In 2019 he played a pivotal role in the negotiations to form the new joint venture, CMBC, which went live in November 2020.

 Richard maintains his broader industry contribution as a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) and continues to sit on the Board of Examiners with the IBD where he assesses prospective Master Brewers. Richard has also been awarded the Freedom of City of London by the Worshipful Company of Brewers; crowned ‘Brewer of the Year’ by the British Guild of Beer Writers; and recognised for his contribution to local business by Wolverhampton City Council and enrolled as one of its ’Famous Sons & Daughters’.

 At CMBC, Richard has successfully led the integration of the two businesses over the past 18 months, leading the integration project office, Project Mermaid and delivering procurement synergies. He has also played an active role with the JV Board, and represented the business with key customers and partners including Estrella Damm throughout an immense period of change.

 Whilst Richard will retire from CMBC, he has agreed to continue his advisory position on the JV Board, and will act as a part time consultant to the CMBC management team on a small number of critical change projects.

 Richard comments: “It has been an incredible forty-seven years with the business in its various guises and I have worked with so many passionate, dedicated and talented people throughout these decades. I am truly proud of Marston’s heritage and my contribution to forming CMBC. It is no easy task that we are all collectively undertaking to build the best beer company in the UK and despite some challenges along the way, we are moving in the right direction together.

 “This is the only industry I know, and I will never lose my passion for it; for most of my career my job has been a hobby. As this chapter closes, I am excited to continue to support Paul and the Board to ensure that CMBC has the best brands, service and people that sets it apart, backed by an incredible heritage in brewing.”

 Paul Davies adds: “Richard is one of a kind and a clear Founder of CMBC. We are fortunate to have had Richard at the heart of our business during our first 18 months as a new company. His knowledge, expertise and strong relationships across the industry have given us solid foundations from which to grow.

 “I’d like to express my personal gratitude for his extraordinary contribution, energy and total engagement throughout the last challenging 18 months. I am delighted that Richard has agreed to remain as an adviser to myself and the JV Board over the coming years. I promise we will give Richard the send-off that he deserves.”