Shipyard Brewing Company has extended its Portland, Maine based Leadership team with the appointment of David Phillips in the role as Chief Operating Officer. Phillips, an Australian native, recently settled in Maine has had a relationship with Shipyard for several years, having led its Australian launch in 2019.

The senior role is a new addition to the business and comes as Shipyard furthers its standing as a global brand. In addition to its considerable national distribution in the US, Shipyard is also brewed and distributed under license in the United Kingdom and Australia. Phillips’s new role will aid in further expansion of both local and international markets.

Phillips comes to Shipyard with an array of beer industry experience, including pioneering beer tourism and education in Australia, owning one of Australia premier beer festivals and leading a major Sydney based brewery. Having established the first beer tourism venture in Australia and expanding to over twelve locations between Australia and the United States, Phillips’s understanding of how beer brands and tasting room locations can be positioned as leading tourism ventures and key drivers of a region’s visitor economy has been well demonstrated and will be put to good use at Shipyard. Phillips launched Cicerone training in Australia and New Zealand focused on raising the level of beer and beer server knowledge within the industry.

Prior to his entry into the beer world, Phillips held executive positions in Australia and Southeast Asia within the telecommunications sector. “Dave has a wealth of operational and business leadership experience and being Australian, has certainly bought a few new ways of thinking to us if not some language we still don’t understand” says Fred Forsley, founder and owner of Shipyard Brewing Company. “He was instrumental in expanding Shipyard Downunder and establishing our presence there, and since then has been working closely with us and our UK team on our future global strategy.”

“We have so much going on right now, it is great to have him on board and adding more focus to our operations. As a global brand we rely on people who are confident working in different countries and bridging cultural gaps. Dave has a wealth of experience leading global teams and working with local partners to get stuff done. So, what better way for us to fulfil our global aspirations then to have an Aussie lead the charge.” Commented company president Bruce Forsley, who Phillips will report to as COO.

“Shipyard Export was the first beer I had on my first trip to Maine in 2017. It was actually in the tasting room, the site of the original brewery in Portland. Little did I know that some four years later I would be working for such a wonderful family and with a great team. Shipyard has a lot to be proud of, and we’re only just starting on our global journey, not to mention the sheer number of local projects and initiatives we have going on across the group. There is a lot more to come from one of Maine’s oldest beer brands, and I am confident that those who know us and those that are yet to will start to feel the changes we have going on. I am pretty stoked to be playing a role in taking Shipyard forward.” says Phillips.

Founded in 1994, Shipyard has been a mainstay of Maine, New England and American craft beer for over 25 years. Consistently ranking as one of the 50 largest breweries in the United States, its recent evolution has leveraged global relationships to establish long term partnerships that position Shipyard as one of America’s global beer brands.