Manufacturing | Food & Beverage
President and chief beer merchant
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. | Chippewa Falls
Dick Leinenkugel leads Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., the family-founded, Chippewa Falls-based MolsonCoors subsidiary best known nationally for its Summer Shandy. Dick Leinenkugel plans to retire at the year’s end, passing the business to his nephew and sixth-generation Leinenkugel, Tony Bugher. Beyond beer, Leinenkugel has dabbled in politics, serving as Department of Commerce secretary under Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and later making a brief run for U.S. Senate.
Education: Bachelor’s, Marquette University
Best career advice: “The Marine Corps taught me leadership by walking around. Good ideas often come from those closest to the action and you have to be open to listening to ideas from anyone.”
Favorite restaurant, order: “Culver’s, double butter burger deluxe. Honey Bear in Eagle River, baby walleye with Leinenkugel’s beer on draught.”
Most significant recent success: “Turning around a decline in Summer Shandy in the face of hard seltzers and keeping it relevant in the beer marketplace to grow distributor net revenue.”
What would make Wisconsin better: “Help our rural communities to have even greater access to great educational, workplace and health care opportunities.”
