The boss

Alan Matula, chief executive officer of Weber

We are headquartered in Palatine, Illinois, just outside Chicago, with Chicago the home of our founder George Stephen. I live in downtown Chicago.

I joined Weber in 2015 to lead the company’s technology transformation and have also led Weber’s research and development organisation. I was appointed CEO in 2022. Before Weber, I worked at Royal Dutch Shell for over 35 years.

The business

In 1952, George Stephen cut a metal buoy in half and added a grate and three legs to create the iconic Weber kettle barbecue. We’ve been making barbecues of the highest quality ever since, each one designed with the same passion that first inspired our founder.

We are just as much a lifestyle brand as a product-centric one – a powerful combination. We design and produce innovative, high-quality, long-lasting charcoal, gas, electric, and wood pellet barbecues and outdoor cooking accessories and consumables. We offer our products, experiences, and services to people in 78 countries.

The influence

I’ve always known Weber and it’s a brand that has been part of my family for generations. But when I started working at the company, my passion for cooking outside went through the roof. I am fortunate to work with the brightest people in product design and engineering and grilling education, so I would say the people I work with have influenced me the most.

The equipment

You will often find me cooking on my Summit Kamado charcoal barbecue. I love the richness of smoky flavours, so this is my go-to grill.

The meal

I enjoy cooking ribs and smoking fish and vegetables.

The next big thing

There are several. Our proprietary Weber Connect technology allows outdoor cooks to receive notifications on their smart devices, such as when to flip, pull, and serve their dishes, while our companion app adds to this high-tech experience with hundreds of recipes, low-fuel monitoring, cook graphing, and many more features. Our Weber Connect technology is integrated into our gas and wood pellet barbecue lines and is also available as a standalone product for use with any grill.

There is the growth of electricity as an alternative fuel source. We recently introduced the Lumin electric barbecue, designing the grill for people who want to barbecue, but have smaller outdoor spaces, or, for environmental reasons, prefer electric products. The Weber Lumin is compact, easy to store, and can grill, smoke, steam, roast, warm, and thaw from frozen.

Every person who works at Weber is passionate about creating exceptional experiences. We pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries of design, engineering and technology and are committed to continually improving sustainability in barbecue.

We need to expand beyond our core product awareness to broader audiences, especially as the demographics shift worldwide. We are now much more than simply a great barbecue product company.

We are shifting to a brand that reflects an emotional purchase and, more importantly, is a lifestyle brand that combines many communities.

This is not only about Weber, but linking with premium partners across categories to accelerate and accentuate the cross-category products and experiences that make the entire ecosystem of outdoor cooking so special.