After 21 years at the top of Henineken USA, in a surprise decision, Julie Kinch has quit as the chief legal officer of the company.

Pioneer

Ms. Kinch serves as the chief legal officer and senior vice president of Heineken USA Incorporated. She is responsible for all Heineken USA legal business and also oversees all legal review for Heineken USA and Star Brand Imports. Before joining Heineken USA, she served as vice president and general counsel for Remy Amerique, from 1993 to 1998. She created the in-house legal function for the company in 1998 and in addition to her responsibilities on the Management Team, she oversees the legal, regulatory and compliance functions for the company as well as its affiliate Lagunitas Brewing Company. In 2006, Ms Kinch was promoted to senior vice president, and was Heineken USA’s first female vice president and first female management team member.

Leadership

Before going in-house, Ms Kinch served as an Associate of White & Case in New York. A Georgetown University graduate, she studied law at Boston College Law School. She represents the company in industry trade organizations such as The Beer Institute and she has spoken at legal and alcohol beverage industry conferences. She is the founder of theHeineken USA Women’s Leadership Forum. Ms Kinch also volunteers her free time to support her local elementary school and other organizations like the Girl Scouts and the Westchester Children’s Museum.