Russell G. Cleary (May 22, 1933 – May 1, 1997) was an American brewer who was known for building the G. Heileman Brewing Company from the 15th in the brewing industry up to 4th during his tenure as president and CEO of the company from 1971 to 1989.^[1]

Cleary was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Both his parents died when he was young, and he went to live with his aunt and grandmother in La Crosse.^[2][3] While there he attended Franklin Elementary School, and Logan Junior and Senior High Schools. While at Logan he was editor of the school's yearbook and a leader on its debate team.^[4] Following graduation he attended the University of La Crosse three year pre-law program, and was accepted to the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1954, graduating in 1957. Cleary had intended to move to Reedsburg, Wisconsin, to begin a law practice, but he and his wife, the daughter of a top executive at the G. Heileman Brewery in La Crosse, returned to their home town and he began working in real estate law.^[2]

Roy Kumm became president of the G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1957 and Cleary began working occasionally with Kumm on labor negotiations and business acquisitions.^[2]

Cleary joined Heileman full-time as legal counsel for the company in 1960. Only four years after working at Heileman, he was promoted to vice president and general counsel of the company.^[3] At that point he was in charge of labor relations; acquisitions; integration of acquired firms; supervision of legal matters; divisional advertising; and company-owned real estate.

In 1967 Cleary was named to the board of directors.^[5] Kumm resigned as president of the company in 1971 due to health reasons, and died only months later.^[6] Elected to replace him, Cleary continued his path, engineering Heileman's 1972 purchase of Associated Brewing. The deal brought with it several subsidiary brewing companies, which catapulted Heileman from 15 to 8th in the industry and led to its stock debuting on the New York Stock Exchange in May 1973.^[7] Cleary used such momentum to make even more acquisitions, seeking to turn his vision of Heileman's being the only brewery in America large enough to take on Anheuser-Busch and Miller for primacy in the American brewing industry into reality.^[8]

In particular, Cleary continued the company's campaign of acquiring failing breweries, making several significant deals. In 1977, Heileman purchased the Rainier brands and plant in Seattle, Washington. There was a deal in 1979 to acquire the Carling brands and several plants (Frankenmuth, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Belleville, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona, among others, which Heileman quickly sold or liquidated). Several contracts in 1983 put Heileman under control of a plant in Perry, Georgia; San Antonio, Texas, where they also purchased the Lone Star brand; and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery; and brands in Portland, Oregon. Cleary's last major brewery move came in 1986 when Heileman finished the construction on a Val Blatz Microbrewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to produce the Blatz brand, which they had purchased in 1969.^[9]

As a boss, Cleary was well liked by his employees and wholesalers, having gone to high school with many of them. He was also well respected by his employees due to his union relations, as the union in La Crosse had some of the highest wages in the area.^[10] Many of his colleagues at Heileman and within the industry had positive things to say about Cleary.

One of the stipulations of the Bond Corporation acquisition was that Cleary stay on as head of the company through a transition to new ownership. After an additional two years, Cleary announced his retirement in 1989. When Alan Bond went bankrupt and was forced to sell Heileman to Hicks, Muse, Tate, and Furst in 1994 Cleary came out of retirement to guide the transaction. He remained with the company until it was sold to the Stroh Brewing Company in 1996.^[8]

Cleary died in May 1997 after complications from heart surgery.^[13]

Russell Cleary met Gail Kumm, daughter of future G. Heileman Brewing Company president Roy E. Kumm, when the pair were juniors in high school. They went on to marry in 1955, when Gail's father was a comptroller there.^[11] The couple had two children: Kristine, a lawyer; and Sandra, an accountant.^[14] Following Cleary's death in 1997, his wife and daughters took over control at Cleary Management.

Cleary was also very involved in Oktoberfest U.S.A, and was the Festmaster for the 1990 Oktoberfest.^[15]