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.

Listen now.

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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

Anheuser-Busch

New Belgium Brewing

Bell's Brewery

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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