As Executive Vice President, National Accounts for Breakthru Beverage Group, Gus Bozzo leads the organization’s effort for their key strategic customers across North America. He works closely with Breakthru leadership and suppliers to drive capabilities in account management, trade marketing, category development and e-commerce.  With over 30 years of experience in the Wine and Spirits industry, Gus has a proven track record of success in helping supplier partners and customers thrive across Breakthru’s footprint.

Gus began his career in the Wine Industry with the E&J Gallo Winery in 1984. He also held various leadership roles at Constellation Brands, Pete’s Brewing Company, & Brown Forman Beverages .

A Native of Northern California, Gus attended the University of the Pacific and earned his bachelors degree in Business Administration.  Gus is a founding board member of the Amici Foundation; a Bay area philanthropic organization focused on supporting local food banks and homeless shelters.

Maureen Brekka serves as the Director of Global Strategy, Portfolio and Brands, for Brown-Forman Corporation. In her role, Maureen has responsibility for portfolio strategy, brand growth strategies, innovation, consumer planning and insights, and for building Brown-Forman’s marketing capabilities across functional teams around the world. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Maureen currently serves as the co-executive sponsor for GROW (Growing Remarkable Outstanding Women), the company’s women-focused employee resource group.

Since joining Brown-Forman in 1995, Maureen has been a member and leader of many successful teams.  She led the Southern Comfort brand’s growth plans in the U.S. and Europe; global Jack Daniel's LAB (low alcohol beverage) product launches;  Corporate Strategy and internal Business Consulting Groups; and was global lead on the company’s Vodka brands.  She served as senior vice president, North American Marketing Director, responsible for the marketing organization and full portfolio of brands in the U.S. and Canada, and most recently as the Global Strategy Director for the company’s largest trademark, the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands.

Prior to joining Brown-Forman, Maureen worked for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Marakon Associates, a strategy consulting firm, in Stamford, Connecticut.  She earned a bachelor of science degree from Georgetown University and a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School.

As a passionate educator, Kayla started her career in the secondary school system in Canada. Here she embraced the challenge of working with students and helping them fall in love with learning the same way she did. When opportunity presented itself, she took a risk and joined Whole Foods Market leading the learning and development team in Ontario and driving employee engagement. From there, she moved from food to beverage at Corby Spirit and Wine (Pernod Ricard Canada) and has continued to rock the boat to by leading major change initiatives. Now as the VP, Total Talent, Diversity & Enterprise-wide Development for Pernod Ricard North America, she is continuing to drive a cultural shift within the organization by supporting large-scale transformation and accelerating our diversity and inclusion goals.

Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey President Carl Carlson, provides strong leadership as he brings 35 years of industry experience to one of the country’s fastest growing spirits brands. Overseeing day-to-day operations, Carlson is responsible for driving growth by establishing short and long-term goals, plans and strategies for the brand.  

Prior to Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Carlson previously worked as senior vice president of commercial for Young’s Market Company and Republic National Distributing Company, served as president of Infinium Spirits and had a 13-year career at E & J Gallo Winery, where he developed national and regional market experience in a myriad of winery and distributor sales management roles.  

Carlson resides in Orange County, CA and works out of Skrewball Spirits, LLC office in San Diego, CA. He is most proud of his 30-year marriage, his four children and his community involvement.

Kathleen is a veteran of Beam Suntory.  Hired in 1991, Kathleen worked for Booker Noe, leading the launch of Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s and Baker’s.  Her work with the Beam family was instrumental in positioning the Small Batch Bourbon Collection to the upscale consumer, ultimately establishing today’s bourbon renaissance. 

Kathleen worked for 10 years as the Group Product Director for Super Premium Brands eventually transitioning to Sales and Marketing Integration and then Brand Education.  She was responsible for the creation of product knowledge courses for the company and globally leading the creation of over 200 courses on our brands.  She is fortunate to have the opportunity to visit and learn about each of our brands in the portfolio and credits those who work at the distilleries as the driver of her passion for success for Beam Suntory in the marketplace. 

In 2014, Kathleen lead the On-Premise EDGE teams and our Luxury efforts, focused on elevating our sales teams and our premium brands in the critical must win on-premise channel. 

Most recently, Kathleen has moved into Premium & On-Premise Marketing, focusing efforts on driving prestige for our brands through new marketing partnerships and practices, and deploying equity driving brand programs in the on-premise. 

Kathleen is honored to be a member of the “Bourbon Hall of Fame” (2015) and the exclusive Scotch Whisky society “Keepers of the Quaich“ (2008)

In 2018, in honor of her service to the Bourbon industry and the Beam family, a batch of Booker’s Bourbon was named in her honor – “Kathleen’s Batch.”    

Kathleen is the mom of Dominic and Christian.  Dom is now in the spirits business selling Bacardi brands and Christian is in college playing hockey. 

Mel Dick serves as SVP and President, Wine Division of Southern Glazer’s. He joined Southern in 1969. He began his career in the wine business in 1958 at Gallo Wine Distributors, and eventually E. and J. Gallo Winery where he worked for 11 years. Dick joined Southern as General Sales Manager-Wine in 1969. By 1972, he became Vice President-Wine and in 1976 he was appointed President of the Wine Division for Southern. In 1984, he became an owner of the company. He acquired the additional title of Senior Vice President of Southern in 1991. In 2001, Dick received the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor, for his outstanding contribution to the French wine and champagne, spirits and water industry and was elevated to Officier de la Legion D’Honneur in October 2010.

Renata Franzia Price is the National Account Manager emphasizing Business Strategies for Bronco Wine Company National Sales Division.  Co-founded by Renata’s father, Fred T. Franzia and uncles, Joseph Franzia and John Franzia in 1973; Bronco Wine Company is a third generation, family-owned winery committed to growing, producing and selling the finest quality wines of the highest value to our customers. Our diverse family of brands is sold in over 90 countries worldwide. Renata is responsible for driving business strategies and execution of all brands within Bronco Wine National portfolio.

Renata earned her bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, Leavey School of Business in Economics and International Business in 1990.  Hired as a brand manager, she moved into chain sales for Classic Wines of California. As Renata raised her children, she automated the point of sales, developed a system for wine competitions entry and is developing a marketing department. Renata is WSET II certified and enjoys being a regular wine judge for the last 10 years.

Renata lives in San Ramon, California with her husband Rob who is a Sales Director at a Silicon Valley based company. They have four children that keep them busy. Renata’s oldest, Sarina, graduated from Texas Christian University and is now employed at Oracle in California. Her son, Logan, is a senior at Oregon State University. Her daughter, Juliette, is a junior at TCU. Her youngest, Hudson, is a freshman at Santa Clara University.

Renata over the years has volunteered as elected PTA president for Coyote Creek Elementary and PTSA president for Gale Ranch Middle School. She was president two terms at Dougherty Valley High School Athletic Boosters.  Renata received the following awards: Continuing Service PTA Award in 2010, PTA State Golden Oak Award in 2013, Parks Reserve Forces CSM for Excellence Award in 2017, DVHS Honorable Service Award in 2018. Renata looks forward to growing her family’s brands in today’s market and continuing her community volunteerism into the next stage of her life with the Santa Clara University Jesuit School of Theology and the Women of the Vine and Spirits.

Stephanie Gallo is the Chief Marketing Officer for the E. & J. Gallo Winery. Co-founded by Stephanie’s grandfather Ernest and great uncle Julio 84 years ago, Gallo is now the largest family-owned winery in the world, exporting wine and spirits to 110 countries. In her role, Stephanie oversees Consumer and Product Insights, Digital Marketing, Experience Marketing, Media and Public Relations, as well as the global management of all Gallo brands, creative development and agency management, marketing effectiveness and sponsorships.

Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in government and international studies from the University of Notre Dame and obtained her MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She serves Notre Dame as a Board of Trustee, student mentor and guest speaker. Stephanie is also a Trustee of the Gallo Center for the Arts and the Capital Campaign Chairperson for the Center for Human Services, a local nonprofit that assists youth and families in Stanislaus County.

Stephanie is involved in her community as a regular speaker on women in business, family business and the importance of community giving. She lives in her hometown of Modesto with her husband Chris Tyler and their two children, Amelia and Harrison. As a family, they enjoy traveling, skiing and spending time outdoors.

Dan Heller is the Executive Vice President of Sales for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which is the third largest premium wine company in the U.S.   Its portfolio includes wineries located in Washington, Oregon and California, and Ste. Michelle also imports wines from prestige estates located in Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand and Chile.  
 
Mr. Heller began his career with Ste. Michelle in 1985.  During his tenure, Dan has held several sales leadership roles prior to being named to his current role in, September 2017.  Dan’s areas of expertise include managing business across all trade channels, building teams and organization structures and managing national distributor networks. 

A native of Indiana, Dan earned his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University.

Marc Hirten is President, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd. He was appointed to his current position on November 1, 2017 where he oversees all sales, marketing, operations, finance, supplier and distributor relations as well as Wildman’s dedicated wholesale division. 

 Previously, Mr. Hirten served as General Manager of Commercial Strategy, William Grant & Sons, New York. Additionally, Mr. Hirten held positions with Moët-Hennessy and Diageo that have spanned across general management, strategy, sales and marketing. Using his myriad skills, Mr. Hirten is focused on transforming the business and strengthening the company’s already outstanding portfolio. 

 Mr. Hirten resides in Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife, Lisa, of 32 years and they are the parents of two adult children. He is a California native and spent many years in San Francisco and Napa Valley. He graduated from Santa Clara University with an Economics degree. Mr. Hirten enjoys music, the beach, boating, fishing and playing paddle tennis.

Bruce Hunter joined Shaw-Ross in 1995 as Executive Vice President, Director of Wines. He was appointed Executive Vice President, Director of Marketing in 1998 and oversaw the expansion of the marketing department by developing a professional brand management structure. Bruce was appointed Managing Director in 2004. Bruce brings 48 years of domestic and international experience in the Wine & Spirits industry. Starting in 1970 with Almaden Vineyards and with Parrott and Company starting in 1973 serving as its president from 1984 to 1995.

In her newly appointed role as Executive Vice President Brands and Chief Marketing Officer for Moët Hennessy USA, Vanessa Kay is responsible for driving business strategies and execution for all brands within the Moet Hennessy USA portfolio of Champagnes, Wines and Spirits in addition to overseeing the continued development of the company’s Marketing organization. Most recently, Vanessa held the position of Senior Vice President of Veuve Clicquot, Krug and Ruinart where she oversaw all aspects of each brand including marketing, sales, distribution, events, public relations and digital efforts. Vanessa joined Moët Hennessy in 2006 as the Business Development Director for Maison Veuve Clicquot based in France and was responsible for the United States and Asia Pacific regions. Prior to joining Moët Hennessy, Vanessa worked for Citibank in Marketing and Strategic Development for 5 years in both NY and Paris and subsequently in management consulting in Paris for over ten years across multiple sectors including banking, pharma, biotech and heavy industry. After earning a B.A. degree in French Literature magna cum laude from Cornell University, Vanessa moved to France where she completed an MBA at INSEAD in Fontainebleau and subsequently lived in Paris for 20 years. Vanessa currently resides in New York City.

Maggie Lapcewich, an accomplished senior executive with 28 years of progressive leadership experience, has achieved a distinguished career across all facets of the Beverage Alcohol industry, holding C-level positions in both Supplier and Distributor tiers of the business.

Currently Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Communications and a key member of the Breakthru Beverage executive leadership team, Maggie led the post-merger integration of Wirtz Beverage and Charmer Sunbelt that formed the Breakthru Beverage Group, the third-largest wine, spirits, and beer distributor in the US and #1 broker in Canada with 7000 associates and $5B in sales. Under her leadership, Breakthru Beverage completed a successful first year of integration where numerous milestones were met and critical decisions for the future were made.

Prior to Wirtz Beverage / Breakthru Beverage Group, Maggie enjoyed a successful 22-year career with Diageo PLC, where she rose through significantly more responsible positions, including President Diageo Canada, President Global Tequilas, President of National Accounts USA, and US Spirits General Manager for Diageo North America.

– As President of Diageo Canada, Ms. Lapcewich directed all aspects of the Canadian demand business, a two-tier system across 10 Canadian provinces, which under her leadership became the sixth-largest contributor to the Diageo global business, delivering $500M NSV annually with a $24M NSV contribution through new product innovation.

– As President and General Manager of Global Tequilas, she led the global cross-functional business and contractual relationship of the Diageo/Casa Cuervo distribution partnership and Tequila Don Julio joint venture with the Mexican brand owner, delivering $450M in net sales for the Diageo/Jose Cuervo portfolio, the #1 tequila brand in the world, and 25% annualized growth of Tequila Don Julio, establishing it as the #2 ultra-premium tequila in the world. 

– As President of National Accounts for the US, Maggie headed the retail and on-premise customer-facing team for Diageo beer, wine, and spirits businesses that generated more than $700M of NSV for Diageo USA. 

– As General Manager US Spirits of various regions, Maggie established and improved distributor/broker relationships, core processes, and performance, consistently delivering P&L and market share expectations. 

Ms. Lapcewich began her career in the Beverage Alcohol industry as a Field Marketing Manager with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery where she consistently overachieved sales goals. Maggie earned her BBA in Marketing from the University of Iowa and completed an Executive Development Program at Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business. 

Born and raised in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, Maggie currently resides in Chicago where she enjoys running, swimming, triathlons and golf, and volunteers in the community. 

Derika began her career with Heineken USA, as Sales and Marketing Analyst, where she led a consumer insights team in the Netherlands, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the UAE to develop growth strategies for the business expansion of Heineken in the Middle East.  She then held roles as On and Off Premise Manager in the Midwest and Area Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest. 

Derika joined PepsiCo in 2009 as National Accounts Manager in the C store channel. She was then appointed Director of Innovation where she led a team of six driving innovation to market across all trade channels.  Her last role with PepsiCo was Senior Director of Brand Development, leading a team of 22 people developing go to market strategies for all new product innovation.   

In 2016, Derika founded D2 and On the Horizon Coaching, where she helped small and medium beverage companies from concept to launch to expansion.  One of her many accomplishments was building Bundaberg into the #1 Ginger Beer in the United States. 

Derika recently joined Ste Michelle Wine Estates as the Regional Vice President for the West.

When she is not working, Derika enjoys some sunshine and sand with a side of Jimmy Buffett.

Cindy Leonard serves as Executive Vice President, General Manager, Fine Wine Divisions for SGWS. She is responsible for Commercial Sales Planning and collaboration with the Commercial Planning and Sales and Marketing teams and driving supplier performance, alignment and strategy.

Cindy began her experience in the beverage alcohol industry, with the Gallo Wine Company in Los Angeles. She escalated in management and leadership roles that took her to National Account Manager with E&J Gallo Winery, Remy Amerique, Regal Wine Company, and Regional Supplier Management with Jackson Family Fine Wines. Cindy joined Southern Wine & Spirits in Arizona in 2000, as Brand Manager elevating to Vice President & General Manager SGWS/AZ Fine Wine Division and ultimately to a Vice President, Supplier Management and Business Development at SGWS Corporate in Miami. 

Cindy earned her bachelor's from Arizona State University. She also holds her Court of Master Sommeliers, Level One Certification and a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) 2 Certification. Cindy also graduated from the Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Emerging Leaders Program in 2018.

Cynthia Lohr, Co-Owner, Trade and Brand Advocate, J. Lohr Vineyards

As the daughter of wine industry pioneer Jerry Lohr, Cynthia Lohr spent some of her youth in the vineyards and at the wineries, absorbing aspects of the wine industry firsthand. As an adult, she chose her own path, establishing a reputation for excellence in strategic marketing and public relations, working with a who’s who of leading Internet and technology companies. In 2002, Cynthia joined the family business as director of communications for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, and in 2009 she was named marketing vice president.

In this capacity, Cynthia works with a dedicated marketing team, overseeing J. Lohr’s advertising, public relations, editorial, promotional, Internet marketing, branding and communications initiatives, and is involved in direct-to-consumer strategy and partner sponsor relationships. Cynthia’s unique background has enabled her to enhance J. Lohr’s visibility while expanding overall brand recognition in both traditional and new media and throughout the marketplace. As one of three Lohr children to work actively in the business, Cynthia’s perspective on sustainability starts in the vineyards and includes growing J. Lohr to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Prior to joining J. Lohr, Cynthia was a vice president at AlexanderOgilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where her division served an array of clients including Covad Communications, TurboLinux, HomePNA, iPIX, Preview Systems, and Vicinium Systems. Cynthia also was director of communications for Alexa Internet, acquired by Amazon.com in 1999. In addition, while at technology public relations firm Niehaus Ryan Group, Cynthia led Yahoo!’s pre-IPO strategic messaging efforts, helping to build the company’s consumer brand throughout the mid-90s. She also directed strategic communications initiatives and executed numerous product launches for VeriSign, InsWeb and Organic Online. Before joining Niehaus Ryan Group, Cynthia was the director of business development at PRx, a strategic marketing communications firm serving Silicon Valley technology clients.

Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French with a minor in psychology from UC Davis. Her diverse background also reflects her passion for family and community, leadership, the arts and education. She lives in San Francisco with her family and serves on the board of directors for Slide Ranch, is a founding member and board director of the Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux) Collective (the PRCC), serves on the Unified Symposium Program Committee, and is an advisory board member for Women of the Vine. Cynthia is also an experienced ethnic vocalist, who has performed in 20 languages and released CDs with local groups Kitka,Wazobia, Savina, Jou Jou, and Flying Without Instruments. Her vocal credits with Kitka include the film Jacob’s Ladder.

Lorraine Luke is currently Corporate Vice President, Human Resources for Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) and leads the entire HR team for the Company. RNDC is the second largest distributor of premium wine and spirits in the United States with operations in 23 states and employs more than 10,000 Associates nationwide. Lorraine joined RNDC in 2005 and assumed the responsibility for developing the human capital strategy for both the organization and the HR function. Since then, she has been responsible for the executive leadership of the company’s human capital practices with a strong focus on talent development, corporate social responsibility, and cultural excellence. In addition, Lorraine is a member of the Executive Leadership Team at RNDC as well as the executive sponsor of the RNDC Women’s Leadership Forum, Millennial Advisory Council, iGen Leadership Circle, and a key facilitator of the RNDC Senior Executive Leadership Forum. Under her direction, RNDC has established industry-leading people practices producing a strong bench of leaders at every level in the organization and a culture that was recognized as a Best Place to Work by Fortune magazine.

Lorraine is a successful and accomplished Human Resources Executive with over 22 years of progressive HR leadership and executive experience with privately-held to publicly-traded Fortune 200 companies. Her areas of expertise include being a subject matter expert in coaching, change leadership, strategic human capital practices, talent management, employment practices, and organizational culture. She is a proven expert in developing and executing strategic human capital initiatives for large workforces in multi-location sites. Lorraine has successfully lead remote teams of Human Resources professionals along with teams providing corporate Shared Services. Prior to RNDC, Lorraine was with YUM Brands for 20 years in a variety of progressive roles in Operations, Finance, and Human Resources. While at Pizza Hut, she was consistently recognized for building teams, developing talent, and attaining positive and sustainable business results through aligned client relationships and results-oriented strategic planning and execution. Early in her career, she was the Controller for Garland Enterprises in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Lorraine has attained several professional HR certifications from accredited institutions. She is a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), Internal Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Women of the Vine Symposium, and Association for Talent Development (TD). Lorraine has attained her certifications as a DDI Global Facilitator and a 360 assessment coach from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).  She holds a business degree from Western International University and a degree in Religion from the American Military University. In addition to her executive role at RNDC, she is a member of the auxiliary police force for the City of Keller, Texas and the past Vice President for the Board of Directors for the Keller Citizens Police Academy.

Spearheading the fastest market rollout in the history of the spirits industry, Brittany Merrill-Yeng, co-founder and managing partner of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, is a chemist, turned attorney, turned spirits brand owner. Merrill-Yeng was one to watch as she took her small family-owned company and grew it into a Hollywood favorite and national sensation in just one short year. An industry disruptor and a woman making waves in a male dominated industry, she is a highly educated woman juggling parenting while running a leading spirits company, creating a brand that goes beyond just whiskey - Skrewball is a lifestyle that is welcoming to all manner of weirdo, maverick, and misfit that brings people together in a world of uncertainty. When Merrill-Yeng isn’t taking over the spirits industry one bottle at a time, she enjoys spending time with her daughters and getting off the grid while traveling to far remote places with her family.

Will is General Counsel, Americas for William Grant & Sons Inc, based in New York, NY.  A graduate of Edinburgh University’s law school, Will worked in private practice with McGrigors in the UK (now part of the international firm Pinsent Masons) and KPMG UK before he moved in-house.  A qualified Solicitor and Notary Public (admitted in Scotland), Will has a postgraduate diploma in Competition Law (Kings College, London), an MBA with distinction (Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde).  While at KPMG, Will qualified as a UK tax adviser and retains his membership of the Association of Taxation Technicians.

Shortly after relocating with his family from the UK to New York in 2017, Will passed the New York Bar Exam and New York Law Exams.  Will is an experienced in-house legal counsel with nearly 14 years’ experience working as a lawyer in the drinks industry with Scottish & Newcastle plc, Heineken UK and William Grant & Sons. 

During Will’s career, he has led the legal work on a number of deals including the acquisition of the Drambuie brand for William Grant & Sons, the purchase of the Tuthilltown distillery for William Grant & Sons in the US, the acquisition of the Caledonian Brewing Company for Heineken UK and the creation of a GBP35m full function joint venture, Universal Beverages Limited for Heineken.  As well as concluding numerous international drinks distribution contracts across the globe, he also negotiated and concluded contracts relating to Heineken UK’s sponsorship of London’s 2012 Olympic Games and William Grant & Sons’ sponsorship of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Well versed in contract negotiation, litigation management and implementing legal compliance programs (e.g. antitrust, anti-bribery and corruption, data protection etc.), Will also advises on intellectual property protection and employment matters.

Will has served as a director and/or company secretary on a number of operating boards within the Heineken’s UK business and at William Grant & Sons where he is currently a director and officer of William Grant & Sons, Inc (WG&S’s main operating company in the USA) as well as the WG&S majority-owned Canadian sales agency, Peter Mielzynski Agencies Limited. As executive sponsor, Will helped to found and develop William Grant & Sons’ DE&I agenda in the US. 

Will lives with his wife and four children in New Jersey and, when not working, he’s a keen musician in his spare time.

Shortly after relocating with his family from the UK to New York in 2017, Will passed the New York Bar Exam and New York Law Exams.  Will is an experienced in-house legal counsel with nearly 14 years’ experience working as a lawyer in the drinks industry with Scottish & Newcastle plc, Heineken UK and William Grant & Sons. 

During Will’s career, he has led the legal work on a number of deals including the acquisition of the Drambuie brand for William Grant & Sons, the purchase of the Tuthilltown distillery for William Grant & Sons in the US, the acquisition of the Caledonian Brewing Company for Heineken UK and the creation of a GBP35m full function joint venture, Universal Beverages Limited for Heineken.  As well as concluding numerous international drinks distribution contracts across the globe, he also negotiated and concluded contracts relating to Heineken UK’s sponsorship of London’s 2012 Olympic Games and William Grant & Sons’ sponsorship of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Well versed in contract negotiation, litigation management and implementing legal compliance programs (e.g. antitrust, anti-bribery and corruption, data protection etc.), Will also advises on intellectual property protection and employment matters.

Will has served as a director and/or company secretary on a number of operating boards within the Heineken’s UK business and at William Grant & Sons where he is currently a director and officer of William Grant & Sons, Inc (WG&S’s main operating company in the USA) as well as the WG&S majority-owned Canadian sales agency, Peter Mielzynski Agencies Limited. As executive sponsor, Will helped to found and develop William Grant & Sons’ DE&I agenda in the US. 

Will lives with his wife and four children in New Jersey and, when not working, he’s a keen musician in his spare time.

As a successful leader at Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given to expand my scope through a variety of rewarding career experiences.  These career experiences combined with great mentors and executive sponsors have contributed positively to my personal and professional growth and the ability to deliver strong business results and build great teams. At RNDC, our goal is to ensure our Associates feel accomplished, challenged and engaged – a result which only these types of career experiences can provide.  I am driven to pursue opportunities that bring value to RNDC’s key stakeholders and supplier partners.  I have learned to leverage my leadership strengths as a connector and pioneer.  I thrive on bringing the right people together to generate the right insights to produce game-changing growth and results.  I am a natural leader that innately envisions possibility and aims to constantly learn and grow.

Zaarath Prokop is the Chief Financial Officer & SVP of Frederick Wildman & Sons, LTD. Zaarath joined on November 12, 2018 and is responsible for the Finance, Accounting, Operations and IT/IS functions.  Ms. Prokop brings a decade of direct industry experience to her role, having served as Director of Revenue Management at William Grant & Sons, Finance Director for Disaronno USA and in several commercial finance positions with Remy Cointreau USA.

At Frederick Wildman, Ms. Prokop focuses on commercial management, business transformation and will build long-term sustainable growth and value across the company’s portfolio.  Zaarath is a proud member of Women of the Vines and Spirits and a veteran of the U.S. Army, First Calvary Division.  She has held multiple professional finance roles before joining the wine and spirits industry, including with Fortune 500 brand Ford Motor Company and Honeywell.  She lives in Manhattan, NY with her husband and loves to travel. 

Caroline Shaw joined the E. & J. Gallo Winery in February 2021 as the Senior Director of Corporate and Marketing Communications. In this role, she oversees multiple facets of the winery’s communication team to include Corporate Communications, Community Relations, Trade Media and Scoring, and Category & Lifestyle Marketing. This later discipline includes influencers, partnerships, experiential, and multicultural marketing.

Caroline is an experienced communications leader with a successful track record of building and managing corporate and brand reputations through innovative storytelling and digital strategies. During her tenure as Chief Communications Officer at Jackson Family Wines (JFW) she oversaw 50 premium brands, created the “Really Goode Job” Campaign, rebranded the global company narrative, increased media placements with key trade and lifestyle publications, and managed the opening of the La Crema Estate, a consumer experience and hospitality program that saw 30,000 visitors in its first year.

Caroline has led communications and media relations outreach across multiple industries including the NBA, the Olympic Games and the United Nations. She was also President of the Sonoma County Vintners Board of Directors. Currently, Caroline is the Founding Executive Director & Board Member for a Sonoma-based nonprofit created to provide housing for fire survivors after the 2017 wildfires and now builds affordable housing for educators and first responders.

Caroline has two adult children and lives in Sonoma County with her husband and her running partner – a rescue dog named Barlow.

Ann Stickler serves as Senior Vice President, Regional Managing Director for Brown Forman.  In this role, Ann leads Brown Forman’s Central Region, representing one-third of the corporation’s business in the U.S.  Her team has commercial responsibility as well as oversight of local marketing, finance, and operations.

Since joining Brown-Forman in 2003, Ann has led many successful and diverse groups.  Prior to her move to the commercial side of the business, Ann served as SVP, Marketing for B-F brands in the U.S.   She has also led B-F’s tequila business as Global Managing Director, shepherding the rise of El Jimador and Herradura, and the launch of Herradura Ultra in Mexico. Ann led the U.S. Jack Daniel’s business, overseeing significant growth of the Jack Daniel’s trademark and the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey.   Ann also contributed to B-F’s more entrepreneurial initiatives, leading the Developing Brands Group, with brands such as Woodford Reserve bourbon and Sonoma Cutrer wines.

Ann came to Brown-Forman from SAB Miller, serving as Director of Strategy and New Business Development, and holding a variety of marketing and field sales roles, over 12 years in the beer business. 

Ann is most proud of her teams’ achievements, with several Teams winning Impact Hot Brands awards and one Cannes Gold Lion.  Most of all, though, she has been fortunate to encourage some very talented people to lead, and to coach and support them along the way. 

Ann enjoys work with local charities, serving two terms as Board Chair for the Salvation Army in Louisville and  one term as a board member for Our Lady of Providence.  Ann resides in Louisville with her wonderful husband, Larry, creative son Chase, and  gracious rescue dog Zoe.

Barkley Stuart is Executive Vice President and Board Director of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company and preeminent data insights company for alcoholic beverages. Barkley has worked in the wine and spirits industry for nearly 20 years. 

At Southern Glazer’s, Barkley manages government affairs by providing representation at state and federal levels for both the company and the wholesale alcohol trade. Prior to the 2016 combination of Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s, Barkley worked at Glazer’s in roles ranging from E&J Gallo salesman to Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to working in the wine and spirits industry, Barkley was director, trainer and editor for Communication for Change, a pioneering not-for-profit, that for over 30 years, has used video tools and training to help those living in poor and marginalized communities influence their own destinies.

In addition to ongoing board positions at Southern Glazer’s, Glazer’s, and C4C, Barkley currently serves in leadership roles as a director for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Drizly, Inc., Collette Vacations, North Country School and the Devereux Foundation. Barkley received a BA in Computer Science from Brown University and an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School. 

I have been employed with Bronco Wine Company since 2005.  I currently am the Controller overseeing 10 departments and approx 100 employees.  I have married for 22 years to my high school sweetheart, Jared.  I have an 18 year old daughter, Alexandria, who is a first year student studying premed at UC Merced.  I also have a 16 year old son, Cameron, who is a sophomore at Turlock High School.