Liquid Death names former PepsiCo, Coca-Cola exec to lead retail expansion

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Dive Brief:

• Liquid Death named Mike Fine as its chief retail officer. He will oversee the beverage company’s retail expansion and distribution. Fine has nearly two decades of experience in the non-alcoholic beverage industry.
• The company also announced that Marisa Bertha has been promoted to chief strategy officer. Bertha was previously Liquid Death’s senior vice president of strategy.
• Liquid Death said the appointments come as it scales its retail and distributor presence to meet rising demand. Scanned sales through registers hit a record $303 million for the 52 weeks ending June 2024, up 63% versus the prior year, the company said.

Dive Insight:

As Liquid Death aims to maintain its torrid pace of growth, the beverage company is further bolstering its executive ranks. A common theme for the brand, known for its tagline “Murder your thirst,” is hiring people with beverage experience. Its chief financial officer and chief commercial officer are among those who have previously worked in the sector. Fine had been employed by BodyArmor, Nestle Waters, Coca Cola and PepsiCo.

“There is a huge opportunity to accelerate our retail presence and market share, especially as we diversify with category-expanding products like iced tea,” Mike Cessario Liquid Death’s CEO, said in a statement. “Mike Fine and Marisa will play key leadership roles in growing Liquid Death through our next chapter of scale on the road to building the next beverage giant.”

The beverage startup has been active in positioning its business for the future by expanding its product line beyond canned water. Liquid Death now sells products such as sparkling water, iced tea, and earlier this year, an electrolyte drink mix called Death Dust. In March, it closed a $67 million financing round valuing the beverage company at a $1.4 billion valuation.