Eastside Distilling, Inc. Announces Appointment of Janet Oak as New Chief Branding Officer and Ashley Rydecki as Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastside Distilling, Inc. (NASDAQ: EAST) announced the appointment of Janet Oak as Chief Branding Officer effective October 1, 2020 and Ashley Rydecki as Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) effective September 28, 2020.  Ms. Oak will be responsible for executing the company's strategic shift to brand building and beverage marketing, and supporting our company mission and vision to be a premier Craft-inspired brand builder.   Ms. Oak will report directly to Chief Executive Officer, Paul Block.  Ms. Rydecki brings over a decade of experience in CPG financial strategy and planning—including M&A, S&OP, costing, production efficiency, budgeting, planning and variance analysis. Ms. Rydecki will report directly to Chief Financial Officer, Geoffrey Gwin.

Paul Block, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, commented, "We are pleased to welcome Janet and Ashely to the team. Both bring extremely valuable experience to the Company's leadership team as we rebuild and re-focus the organization. Janet has a phenomenal track record as a transformational strategic marketer with experience working with some of the biggest names in the spirits industry including Pernod Ricard, Courvoisier, Stolichnaya, and Beefeater Gin."

Geoffrey Gwin, Chief Financial Officer, commented, "We are thrilled to welcome Ashley to the Finance team. This role is critically important to the Company and will allow us to shift our approach from a control and report orientation to more planning and analysis integration."

Janet has repeated success of transforming companies, brands and teams into high performing growth engines.  She brings industry experience, most recently working closely with Pernod Ricard and Annheuser-Busch at her previous position as SVP at IPSOS.   With deep qualitative and quantitative skills, she has consistently delivered valuable insights critical to business growth and strategy. She has partnered with companies like Google, Facebook, Disney, and McDonalds as a thought leader in next-generation and multi-cultural consumer segments, valued for her forward-thinking enthusiasm for all things social, mobile and digital, as well as her ability to translate global insights into local implications for both mature and emerging markets. With global experience leading highly matrixed teams throughout LATAM, EMEA, and APAC, she has turned cost centers into profit centers that drive business growth. Janet was recently selected as a mentee in Adweek's 2020 executive mentorship program. Janet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and completed Executive Education programs at Harvard University, Wharton Business School and UC Berkeley School of Journalism.

Ashley Rydecki is an accomplished finance professional with extensive experience in revenue and market share growth, profit maximization and P&L management. Prior to joining the Eastside Distilling team, Ashley spent 12 years working with a large multi-national CPG company in various roles including accounting, business development, mergers & acquisitions, financial planning, implementation of operational efficiencies as well as providing financial direction, leadership and strategic guidance to the organization.  Ashley also bring 11 years of auditing experience with a large, regional public accounting firm. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Southern Connecticut State University and an MBA from the University of New Haven.  She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Connecticut.

About Eastside Distilling

Eastside Distilling, Inc. (NASDAQ: EAST) has been producing high-quality, award-winning craft spirits in Portland, Oregon, since 2008. The Company is distinguished by its highly decorated product lineup that includes Redneck Riviera Whiskey, newly acquired Azuñia Tequilas, Burnside Whiskeys, Hue-Hue Coffee Rum, and Portland Potato Vodkas. All Eastside spirits are crafted from natural ingredients for quality and taste. Eastside's Craft Bottling + Canning subsidiary is one of the Northwest's leading independent spirit bottlers and ready-to-drink canners. For more information visit: www.eastsidedistilling.com or follow the Company on Twitter and Facebook.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements      

Certain matters discussed in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; the impact of COVID-19 and related business disruption, the Company's ongoing financing requirements and ability to achieve any financing, acceptance of the Company's products in the market; the Company's success in obtaining new customers; the Company's success in product development; the Company's ability to execute its business model and strategic plans; the Company's success in integrating acquired entities and assets, and all the risks and related information described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the financial statements and related information contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and interim Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release may include statements related to our strategic focus, product verticals, anticipated revenue and profitability, our ability to reduce operating or other expenses, the anticipated demand from the craft beer industry, the effects of COVID-19, including the impact on sales, and the success of initiatives implemented to address the business disruption resulting from COVID-19 and earnings guidance for the third quarter of 2020. The Company assumes no obligation to update the cautionary information in this release.

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SOURCE Eastside Distilling, Inc.