Talking Rain® Beverage Company in Preston announced Oct. 17 the appointment of Brian Kuz to the position of chief marketing officer, reporting directly to Kevin Klock, president and chief executive officer of the company.

Kuz joins Talking Rain with over 30 years of experience building brands in the beverage and consumer packaged goods categories.

“My experience spans initiatives rooted at the regional, national and global levels and I can safely say that beverage trends are the same globally,” said Kuz. “Every brand today wants to offer its consumer healthier alternatives, and a leading driver of this trend in the beverage category is the flavored sparkling water category. I’m honored to be joining the team at such an exciting time for the brand and what I also believe to be the tipping point for the beverage industry.”

Kuz served as the global head of trade marketing and insights at Red Bull GmbH in Austria. He was with the Coca-Cola Company for five years overseeing category and brand strategy before serving as director of category development at the Scotts Company. He also served as vice-president of client service at Information Resources Inc. and director of inventory management at Safeway earlier in his career.

In his new role, Kuz will be responsible for overseeing marketing initiatives and developing areas within the company such as channel distribution, product development, marketing communications and customer service for the U.S. and global verticals.

“I wanted to work for a company that I believe in, but also people that I believe in, and Talking Rain is just that,” finished Brian Kuz. “I look forward to being a part of this innovative brand and helping to grow our space in the beverage industry for years to come.”

For more information, visit www.sparklingice.com.