WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Heineken USA announced that T. Daniel Tearno will step down from his day-to-day position of senior vice president and chief corporate relations officer at the White Plains beer importer after 16 years with the company, effective Dec. 31.
Tearno, a 30-year veteran of the American beer industry, will transition to a consulting role for the company in 2012. In this consultancy, Tearno will continue to advise the company on a wide range of matters relating to public policy, government relations and public relations and contribute to its presence in Washington, D.C.
Dolf van den Brink, president and CEO of Heineken USA, stated, "As the only person to have held this role in the 16-year history of the organization, Dan has been a pillar of both the company and the industry for three decades. We will miss his leadership and experience on our management team, but are very pleased that he will act as a senior advisor to me on a wide range of public policy issues."
"I am very pleased to have the opportunity at this stage of my career to achieve balance between my work and personal lives while continuing to provide value and service to Heineken USA and the beer industry,” Tearno said.
In his role at Heineken USA, Tearno was responsible for a number of industry firsts. Among them were placing a responsible consumption message on all the company's product advertising and on all of its containers, as well as the first alcohol beverage company partnership with an Internet app-based taxi ride company, TaxiMagic. Additionally, Tearno created the company’s first ethics training, crisis preparedness and reputation management programs.
In the late 1990's he led the effort to establish a beer task force at NABI (National Association of Beer Importers), which resulted in the repeal of beer package restriction laws in Florida and Texas. He was also the first beer-industry executive to serve as chairman of the board of directors and the executive committee of NABI.
Tearno is steadfastly committed to the responsible sale and consumption of beverage alcohol and to that end drove the establishment of numerous partnerships between Heineken USA and law-enforcement agencies throughout the United States to help prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.
In addition to his role on the Heineken USA management team, he also served as a member of Heineken’s global Corporate Relations Leadership Team, an organization of senior corporate relations executives who helped guide that function’s global strategy and the career development of junior and middle managers in the corporate relations function around the world.
Tearno began his career in the beer industry as a regional government affairs manager for Miller Brewing Co. in 1981. He also served as Miller’s director of federal government affairs and as vice president of corporate affairs for Molson Breweries USA, then a Miller subsidiary. He left Miller in 1995 to assume his present position at Heineken USA.
White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA Inc. is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. European brands imported into the U.S. include Heineken Lager, Heineken Light, Amstel Light, Newcastle Brown Ale and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from Mexico.
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