What does it take to keep a brewery’s supply chain running when a hurricane floods it six feet deep, four days after you start the job?
In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Tom O’Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer. Tom brings nearly 28 years in brewing, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch where he led more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations, before joining New Belgium in 2024 to oversee brewing operations across its four US breweries.
Tom breaks down what it actually means to own everything from raw materials to the last mile of delivery, how New Belgium keeps culture consistent across four very different regions, and what he learned leading the Asheville brewery through Hurricane Helene, a crisis that tested the company’s people first philosophy in real time.
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Timestamped Highlights
00:33 – Meet Tom O’Connell, Chief Supply Chain Officer
02:00 – How Tom Got Into Beer by Fate
02:54 – 25 Years at Anheuser-Busch
04:14 – What the Chief Supply Chain Officer Role Covers
09:56 – The Annual Leadership Retreat
12:06 – Managing Culture Across Four Regions
14:42 – Innovation Engine: Voodoo Ranger, RTDs, and Kirin
25:20 – Hurricane Helene Hits Asheville
27:56 – Crisis Leadership: People First
44:07 – Rising Costs and Supply Chain Disruptions
About the Guest
Tom O’Connell is Chief Supply Chain Officer at New Belgium Beer, where he oversees brewing operations and supply chain strategy across the company’s four US breweries. He brings nearly 28 years of brewing experience, including 25 years at Anheuser-Busch, where he rose from intern to Vice President of Brewing and Quality for North America, leading a team of more than 1,400 employees across 46 locations. He joined New Belgium in 2024 and led the Asheville brewery’s recovery after Hurricane Helene flooded the facility just days into his tenure.
Mentioned Resources
About the Co-Host
Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever.
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