Canada’s Big Rock Brewery has appointed William Woods as its CFO, five months after the executive assumed the position on a temporary basis.
The Calgary, Alberta-based craft brewer confirmed yesterday (29 January) that Woods will start on a permanent basis as financial lead at the end of February. Woods joined Big Rock as interim CFO in August last year, from Alberta’s Dyand Mechanical Systems, where he had held the same role.
His career to date has included “multiple senior financial roles across the manufacturing, hospitality, natural resource/mining, biotech, transportation, telecommunications and real estate sectors”, according to Big Rock.
Wood’s predecessor, James Chong, had only been in role for 12 months when he was replaced in August. While further details behind his departure were not disclosed, Chong was thanked at the time for “helping lead the corporation through our recent non-brokered private placement”.
“We now have all the management pieces in place to significantly grow our business and expand into new markets,” said CEO David Kinder.
Founded in 1985, Big Rock had annual sales in 2024 of CAD44.3m (US$32.8m).
In October, trade association Beer Canada prepared for life without president CJ Hélie, who retired after having “completed over 38 years in the Canadian beverage alcohol industry”. Hélie was replaced by Richard Alexander.



