Hannah Lowen ’07 Named New CEO of New Riff Distilling
In a few months, University of Wisconsin–Madison alum Hannah Lowen ’07 will start her new role as CEO of New Riff Distilling, one of the country’s leading independently owned distilleries. Although she’s been part of New Riff since day one, her background isn’t in whiskey — it’s in people.
Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Hannah spent a decade living and working on the West Coast and in New York, working in the political arena organizing volunteers to “get out the vote” and streamlining campaign finance reporting. Those management skills prepared her for her role at New Riff, where she joined in 2013 and jumped in with both feet, establishing the operating systems, branding, and distillery programs for the new company.
A founding member of New Riff, Hannah wears many hats there: as the vice president of operations, she works to shape the mission, optimize operations, and propel the company forward. Known for their commitment to company culture and to their employees, Hannah brings a people-centric leadership style to the distillery.
New Riff was founded by Ken Lewis, and Hannah will take over in spring 2024 as CEO. She will be joined in the leadership transition by Denny Gorman as COO and Mollie Lewis as president and the second-generation of family leadership.