Journalist Vivien Topalovic and General Manager Sabrina Kunz

As Brews News continues to focus on providing news and professional brewing content directly to the Australian and New Zealand brewing industries, today we are announcing changes to the Brews News team.

Brews News is delighted to welcome Sabrina Kunz to the team as General Manager and Vivien Topalovic’s appointment as Journalist to the editorial team. We are sad to announce the coming departure of Senior Journalist Clare Burnett.

Sabrina is a former Executive Director of the Brewers Guild of New Zealand, a role she held for almost four years until November 2021 when she returned to her native Australia. She first joined Brews News as a regular guest on the Brews News Week podcast, then as a consultant for the business in January this year.

Amongst her many qualifications, Sabrina has a Bachelor of International Business and Bachelor of Laws, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance and an MBA in Executive Management, Innovation Management. She has extensive international experience in management and Director level roles.

Brews News founder Matt Kirkegaard said he was excited to have Sabrina joining the business.

“For more than a decade, Brews News has provided unparalleled coverage of the Australian brewing industry as it has evolved and the craft segment has matured,” he said.

“In many ways our business has mirrored the evolution of many small breweries, confronting the challenges of business growth while not compromising its independence of thought and its hard won reputation for the integrity of its coverage.

“As the industry grows and professionalises, it’s important that its leading journal does as well. In addition to having a love of and experience in the brewing industry, Sabrina brings important business and governance skills to the business that will enable us to continue to grow with the industry.

“Importantly, Sabrina shares my vision as a solo business owner for how Brews News can continue to play its important role in supporting the Australian brewing industry while robustly covering its news.”

Viven Topolovic’s promotion to the role of journalist comes after first joining the business in 2021 as a graduate intern, then as a part-time Editorial Assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism and experience covering the Music, Technology, Sport and Lifestyle industries.

Senior Journalist Clare Burnett

Clare Burnett has been pursuing a PhD, as well as working as a Sessional Tutor at Griffith University and in November she will be leaving Brews News as she continues to focus on her PhD studies.

Clare joined the business in 2020 as an experienced business journalist and quickly became an integral part of the team, establishing herself as leading writer covering the brewing industry in Australia.

Clare, who this year was awarded the Beer Media Award at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards, leaves a significant legacy for the professionalism of her business reporting, together with her leading coverage of challenging topics including sustainability and diversity.

Matt Kirkegaard says Brews News’ loss is also the industry’s.

“Clare joined Brews News and immediately had an impact through her experience in business journalism, raising the bar for business coverage across the industry,” he said

“She has established herself as a leading writer in the industry, marked by her award win this year, especially as she covered the topical challenges the industry faces.

“The whole Brews News team wishes her well as she advances her studies, and welcomes Vivien to the team.”

Brews News was founded in 2010 and continues to focus on cutting through the noise in an increasingly crowded industry by focusing on the important industry news and issues for the region’s brewers and suppliers. The business remains independently owned and published by founder, Matt Kirkegaard.