Next Glass Expands Executive Team, Prepares for Global Growth

WILMINGTON, N.C., June 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Glass, a leading global provider of software to the beverage alcohol industry, today announced key additions to its executive team with Alison Hawkins as Chief Financial Officer, Chris Herron joining as Chief Technology Officer, and Tom Maneschijn as Vice President of European Operations. Following an investment from Providence Strategic Growth in March, these new executive hires position Untappd for growth and global expansion as restaurants, bars and breweries begin to reopen. These hires will enable Next Glass to scale its technological capabilities and offerings, to build out financial analysis and accounting capabilities required for rapid growth through acquisition and core business expansion, as well as to establish a formal presence in Europe, an area in which the company has experienced substantial growth in recent years.

Next Glass's Chief Technology Officer, Chris Herron, joins the company after previous engineering leadership roles at Audible and, most recently, TripAdvisor, where he led software engineering and was a member of the leadership team for TripAdvisor Restaurants. In his new role, Herron will be responsible for all technology under the Next Glass umbrella, including the Untappd app, Untappd for Business, Untappd Marketplace, and BeerAdvocate. Herron's initial objectives will include growing the company's engineering team, preparing systems and processes to enable rapid growth, and leading integration efforts for add-on acquisitions. Herron will be based in Boston, MA.

"To support our continued growth, we needed to grow our engineering and finance teams and establish operations in Europe," said Trace Smith, CEO of Next Glass. "Alison, Chris, and Tom each bring a wealth of relevant experience in high-growth environments and impressive track records of building and leading great teams."

Alison Hawkins will join the Untappd team in Charlotte, NC as Chief Financial Officer. Hawkins, selected for her previous experience leading a sponsor-backed, high growth company through multiple acquisitions, most recently served as the SVP of Financial Planning and Analysis at iSolved HCM. With Next Glass, Hawkins will be responsible for the Company's finance and accounting teams, assisting in due diligence of acquisition candidates, and leading the financial integrations of add-on acquisitions.

Europe represents the Company's second largest market outside of the U.S., both in terms of users of its Untappd and BeerAdvocate platforms and customers of its Untappd for Business product. As Next Glass continued to grow its global presence, a need developed for an on-the-ground team in Europe with depth and breadth of experience in the brewing industry. To lead the charge, Next Glass brought on Tom Maneschijn to serve as Untappd's Vice President of European Operations. Maneschijn is based in Enschede, The Netherlands and will be responsible for all company operations in Europe. Maneschijn's immediate responsibilities will include building out a Europe-based team, leading development of strategic partnerships, and pursuing other opportunities for growth. He will also evaluate fit of acquisition opportunities from the perspective of the European beverage alcohol market.

Despite closures that impacted restaurants, bars and breweries at the onset of COVID-19, Next Glass's brands, Untappd and BeerAdvocate, have continued to support the global hospitality industry and beer enthusiasts. In conjunction with its investment from PSG, Untappd deferred renewals on Untappd for Business subscriptions for existing customers and, for new customers, is offering an immediate 80% off their first month on Untappd for Business, cumulatively representing nearly $2 million of near-term relief for customers during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, the company is donating a portion of its proceeds from its sold out Untappd Virtual Beer Festival to the Restaurant Strong Fund, a fund established to support restaurant workers through COVID-19. In Europe, the company has sponsored campaigns to raise awareness for the #HelpDeHoreca cause, which supports bars and restaurants in The Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.

About Next Glass
Founded in 2013, Next Glass develops software and creates experiences that connect enthusiasts, retailers, and producers in the beverage alcohol industry. Its award-winning Untappd mobile application and BeerAdvocate website are used by millions of beer enthusiasts around the world and its menu publishing software tool, Untappd for Business, enables venues to streamline publication and promotion of their beer, wine, cocktail, and food menus. The Company's recently-introduced Untappd Marketplace enables alcohol resellers to streamline ordering of beer, wine, and spirits from wholesalers and self-distributing breweries. The Company recently established its Live! division in late-2019 to produce world class festivals and events for the Untappd and BeerAdvocate communities. The Company is headquartered in Wilmington, NC with offices in Charlotte and Durham, NC. For more information, please visit:

www.untappd.com
www.untappd.com/business
www.beeradvocate.com
www.untappd.tv

Media Contact
N6A for Untappd
[email protected]
401.464.1772

SOURCE Next Glass

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