Person of the Year

Michael Kirban

BevNET's Best of 2011 Person of the Year Award goes to Michael Kirban, the CEO of Vita Coco.

This is an award that looks at one person's impact on their company, the category, and the industry -- and for 2011, this was Mike's year.

Under his command, Vita Coco launched a bevvy of marketing campaigns, expanded distribution in the Dr Pepper Snapple System, and bulked up its sales team with talented industry veterans.

The result was not only a record year for Vita Coco, but one that helped push the category forward, with coconut water becoming more and more mainstream every day. While Kirban's work is far from done, he's continued to grow his brand at an impressive rate while maintaining the brand's independence and avoiding major mistakes that can come with such rapid advancement.

Congratulations to Mike Kirban, BevNET\"s 2011 Person of the Year.