Transformational public affairs and association leader Matt Herrick takes helm at IBWA as new President and CEO
International Bottled Water Association
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Herrick as president and chief executive officer. Herrick assumes this role effective March 15, 2026.
With more than 20 years of experience in food and beverage policy, strategic communications, and high-stakes advocacy, Herrick is uniquely qualified to strengthen IBWA’s position as a trusted authority on bottled water’s safety, sustainability, and consumer choice.
“On behalf of the Board, we are thrilled to welcome Matt as our new President andCEO,” says IBWA Chair Dan Kelly. “We’re confident he will guide IBWA to new heights, driving success and achieving our strategic goals.”
“His transformational leadership in public affairs is exactly what we need to thrive,” says Kelly.
Herrick joins IBWA following a highly successful tenure as Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), where he led a significant strategic pivot to rebrand the association, build new advocacy and programming capabilities, and launch the IDFA Foundation, among others.
“I am honored to serve as the next President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association at this defining moment,” says Herrick. “I am thrilled to lead an industry that is known around the world as the uncontested leader in healthy hydration and an economic powerhouse in the United States responsible for 700,000 jobs and $138 billion in economic impact.”
“I look forward to working with the IBWA Board, its members, and staff to champion bottled water’s reputation as a vital partner in public health, circularity, the economy, and community resilience,” says Herrick.
Prior to IDFA, Herrick served as head of public affairs and communications for both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He has also led external and public affairs for global organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation and Oxfam America.
Herrick has a B.A. from The College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. from Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
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Herrick succeeds longtime president and CEO Joe Doss, who will remain at IBWA for a short time to assist with the leadership transition.
About the International Bottled Water Association
Founded in 1958, IBWA is the trade association representing the bottled water industry. IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors, and suppliers representing 73% of the U.S. bottled water market by volume. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water. In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations.
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For more information about bottled water, visit IBWA’s website: www.bottledwater.org