Company Profile
Company History
Leadership
Brent D. Willis | Chief Executive Officer
Brent Willis stands out as a mission-oriented and purpose-driven leader who has built and led successful multibillion-dollar, major multinational companies around the world. Brent’s career, spanning integral leadership positions at companies including Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Cott Beverages and NewAge, has one constant – his enthusiasm for being an industry disrupter, building lasting foundations, and an unwavering commitment to making people’s lives better and serving others.
As a leader in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, Brent Willis has been CEO of NewAge, Inc. since its inception in 2016. Prior to creating NewAge, Brent was the owner of a number of private equity-backed enterprises and also served as the CEO for Cott Corporation, the world’s largest retail brand beverage company. Prior to Cott (now Primo), Brent was the Global Chief Commercial Officer and a President for Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and member of the Board of Directors for AmBev (NYSE: BUD, ABV). At AB InBev, he developed and implemented the strategy, business plans, and led a number of acquisitions to create the world’s largest beer company.
Prior to AB InBev, Brent was a President in Latin America for The Coca-Cola Company. From 1987 through 1996, Brent worked for Kraft Heinz, where he developed their category management system in the U.S., led numerous acquisitions and joint ventures in Japan, Korea, Indonesia and others, and launched the Kraft brand in China.
Brent began his career as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1982. He served in various combat arms leadership capacities and also spearheaded numerous compartmentalized and top-secret initiatives. He received numerous decorations to include two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, and other awards through his military career before being honorably discharged after reaching the rank of Captain.
Dedicated to service through developing and supporting programs that create positive change, Brent started the Alianza Social in Latin America, an organization to combat poverty that created 30,000 micro-empresas and helped underprivileged families in the region. He was awarded the Medal of Exemplary Service to the Nation by the President of Venezuela for his efforts and was also voted an Outstanding Young Man of America and one of the Top CEOs in Latin America.
Brent received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Brent and his wife Corinne and their incredible daughters live in beautiful Evergreen, Colorado where they enjoy skiing, biking, golf, and any form of competition.
Gregory Fea | Chairman of the Board
As a director within the NewAge organization since 2017, Gregory Fea stands out for his experience and dedication helping industry-leading companies with dramatic growth potential embrace the right next steps to become global, profitable, and sustainable leaders in their industry.
An avid skier and sports fanatic, Mr. Fea channels the mental discipline he’s developed outdoors into his role as a world-class business leader and mentor. Mr. Fea is the former President, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Illy Coffee, North America, Inc., where he served for 17 years and has over 39 years of food and beverage experience in senior leadership roles for E&J Gallo, Cadbury Schweppes, and Danone. From 2010 through 2012, he lived in Italy and was the first non-family Directore Gererali (President) for Illy Coffee, SPA in Trieste. From 2014 through the present, he has been the managing partner of Global Solutions Consulting, a consulting firm that he founded to assist food and beverage companies and global luxury goods companies through strategic consulting and serving on their boards of directors. He currently serves on the BODs of AMI GRP, the largest provider of food and beverage solutions to airlines and cruise lines worldwide, One Hundred Tables, and as an Advisor to Silverwood Partners. He is a graduate of San Diego State University.
Greg and his family enjoy traveling the world and immersing themselves in new cultures and experiences. Avid outdoor enthusiasts, they are always ready for their next adventure, and especially love it when they have the opportunity to help talented local artisans find ways to share their gifts in a positive and life-improving way.
Dr. Fred Cooper | Director
Dr. Fred Cooper joined the Board of Directors of NewAge in November 2020, concurrent with the acquisition of ARIIX. Dr. Cooper brings more than 25 years of e-commerce and direct selling experience to NewAge, Inc.
Before joining the NewAge board, Dr. Cooper was a Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of ARIIX. Under Dr. Cooper’s leadership, ARIIX was one of the fastest-growing direct selling companies over its nine years of business growing to more than $200 million since inception. Prior to founding ARIIX in July 2011, he was the President and Chief Operating Officer of USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA). He started his career in direct sales at USANA in 1998 where he played many critical roles, serving in different executive capacities in special projects, information technology, and global operations.
Dr. Cooper earned a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah. He also earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration, with an emphasis on statistics and operations processes and management, from the University of Utah. Dr. Cooper taught for 17 years as a professor at the University of Utah and is also the original founder of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University.
One of the things he enjoys most about his work with NewAge and ARIIX is the opportunity to meet people around the world and experience their lives and cultures. When he’s not in business mode, Dr. Cooper enjoys spending time with his family including his four boys, is an avid outdoor adventure enthusiast, and is very active with his Church and a number of philanthropic pursuits.
Timothy J. Haas | Director
Timothy J. Haas has been a NewAge director since 2017 when the Company uplisted onto the NASDAQ exchange. As the chairman of the Nominating, Governance, and Sustainability Committee, Tim serves as the focal point to ensure that NewAge operates in an environment where all are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Tim brings a distinguished career of more than 30 years of global consumer goods leadership to his role at NewAge with some of the world’s leading companies including serving as CEO of The Minute Maid Company, one of the world’s largest juice and beverage companies. Following laudatory results in leading Minute Maid, he was promoted to become one of the most senior executives at The Coca-Cola Company as the Group President Latin America, one of KO’s largest regions worldwide. Tim began his career at Unilever in sales and progressed through roles of increasing leadership to culminate in his global role at The Coca-Cola Company.
A graduate of the University of North Dakota and Harvard’s Advanced Management Program, Tim is an avid golfer, skier, and devoted family man. He and his wife split their time between Houston and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, enjoying life with their three adult children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Ed Brennan | Director
Ed Brennan has been a NewAge, Inc. director since 2017. He has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DFS Group (Duty Free Shoppers) since 1996, is a former President of Merchandising at Macy’s, and alongside his family manages Beak and Skiff/1911. 1911 is an established a 100-year-old family apple orchard that he and his family have positioned over the last 8 years as one of the leading brands in the beverage space creating unique distinct products.
Surrounded by family who were immersed in the retail businesses growing up, Ed’s grandparents, father and other family members all spent much of their careers with Sears Roebuck. After graduating from Niagara University, Ed chose to enter the training program of RH Macys and spent 16 years climbing the corporate ladder to president of one of their merchandise divisions. Over his time with Macys, Ed touched most product categories, with Cosmetics one of his favorites.
In 1996 Ed was recruited by the former CEO of Macys to move to Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) where he spent 25 years. He quickly assumed the title of Chairman and CEO and led DFS through its most important growth years in its history becoming a more than $5 billion global company. He was an early visionary of the potential growth of the Chinese consumer, and in 2003 made the strategic decision to move DFS headquarters from San Francisco to Hong Kong.
Ed currently serves on the board of Niagara University, is CEO of the Miller Family businesses based in Hong Kong, and cofounder of Hand in Hand for Haiti, established following the 2010 earthquake and today providing free world-class education opportunities for children in need. A farmer at heart, Ed loves spending time with his family at the farm. He and his wife, Debbie, are avid skiers and outdoor enthusiasts, and love spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Amy Kuzdowicz | Director
As a NewAge director since early 2019, Amy Kuzdowicz contributes her expertise toward helping NewAge to build a secure and forward-thinking financial foundation that supports and sustains dramatic growth. She brings more than 25 years of experience to the table from a variety of fields encompassing international operations, big-growth enterprises, and turnaround operations.
During her career, Amy has worked with $1 billion+ public companies where she was instrumental in transforming financial operations involving acquisitions, joint ventures, offshoring and double-digit annual sales changes. She has served in leadership roles for both private and public companies including as Chief Financial Officer of Rock Ohio Caesars, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Jack Entertainment LLC, in addition to working with Panera, Reuters and Herman Miller. She also works with Arthur Andersen in Denver, Colorado and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, specializing in the gaming industry and emerging markets.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Colorado State University and is a certified public accountant in Ohio. She enjoys traveling the world with her family and loves to unwind with ballroom dancing.
Alicia Syrett | Director
A NewAge director since early 2020, Alicia Syrett has spent her career in the financial industry, including serving as the first employee and CAO of a multi-billion-dollar private equity firm. Alicia is the founder of Pantegrion Capital, an investment vehicle focused on seed and early stage investments, and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since 2011. Prior to forming Pantegrion Capital, she served as Chief Administrative Officer for Mount Kellett, a multi-billion-dollar investment firm, and as CAO for Farallon Capital, a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund. She began her career in investment banking at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. She is an active board member with experience serving on multiple public, private, and non-profit and Advisory Boards. She earned the Fellow designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Alicia is a frequent speaker and author on topics such as entrepreneurialism, early stage investing, and diversity. Her TED talk on “Why VCs and Angel Investors Say ‘No’ to Entrepreneurs” has been viewed more than 300,000 times. She was named as one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices in Startups and Entrepreneurship,” one of the “30 Women in Venture Capital to Watch” by Business Insider, and one of Virgin’s “Five Next Generation Leaders Emerging from Tech.” She has made numerous appearances on major media channels including CNBC, PBS, MSNBC, and Fox Business and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, WSJ, Yahoo Finance, TechCrunch, Inc., The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, NPR’s Marketplace, and USA Today. She has also been a Contributor for Inc. and an Instructor at Columbia University.
Alicia holds an MBA from both Columbia Business School and the London Business School, and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her family in Manhattan and is active in the business community in organizations there such as the Women’s Forum of NY and the Economic Club of New York.