About Me
A Different Path To The Wine Industry
I didn’t start my career in wine.
I began in telecommunications — an industry defined by scale, infrastructure, and customer economics. It was there that I learned how complex systems connect: how acquisition, retention, pricing, and capital investment ultimately determine enterprise value.
Along the way, I pursued formal training in both business and analytics — not to collect credentials, but to sharpen how I think.
An MBA shaped how I understand capital, cash flow, and strategic decision-making.
A Master’s in Analytics & Statistics sharpened my ability to mine behavioral data and forecast outcomes.
Wine entered the picture gradually — and then all at once.
Frequent business travel brought me to Northern California. During those visits, I was introduced to Napa Valley and quickly fell in love with the place — the energy, the land, the intersection of agriculture and brand.
But my interest in wine started long before that.
While living in Kansas, I planted French-American hybrid grapes at home and made small batches of wine myself. I was already a student of the craft — just not yet part of the industry.
A business colleague eventually alerted me to an opportunity at the Robert Mondavi Corporation to lead a new consumer and retail direct marketing department for 14+ brands.
That opportunity changed everything.
From Telecom To Direct-to-Consumer
Over more than a 25 years leading DTC strategy, operations and analytics across premium wineries, I oversaw far more than reporting dashboards.
- Customer journey design and activation
- Consumer analytics and lifetime value modeling
- Predictive modeling and segmentation
- Digital marketing strategy (email, SMS, paid media)
- Package design and advertising direction
- Inventory planning and demand forecasting
- Financial modeling and executive reporting
- Root cause analysis and process improvement
- Organizational leadership and mentoring
I wasn’t operating in theory.
I was accountable for performance.
And in wine — where brand, relationships, inventory constraints, and margin pressure intersect — performance requires integration.
That integration became my focus.
An Industry At An Inflection Point
Wine combined everything I was drawn to — data, brand, agriculture, and long-term customer relationships.
And today, it stands at an inflection point.
Consumer behavior is shifting. Generational preferences are evolving. The economics of Direct-to-Consumer are tighter than they’ve been in decades. The signals have been there for years — if you know where to look.
Throughout my career, I’ve relied on disciplined analysis and pattern recognition to anticipate change before it becomes obvious. Not because I’m interested in being right — but because businesses need time to adapt.
The wineries that thrive in the years ahead won’t abandon tradition. But they will pair it with curiosity, financial clarity, and a willingness to test assumptions against evidence.
That’s the mindset I bring to every engagement.
Calm. Analytical. Willing to ask hard questions.
And committed to building what works next.
What Makes My Approach Different
Most winery marketing conversations revolve around tactics.
But sustainable growth requires connecting:
- Customer behavior
- Financial structure
- Inventory strategy
- Digital execution
My background allows me to move comfortably between the Marketing, Finance and Technology worlds — translating consumer data into business decisions.
Not more activity.
Better clarity.
How I Work
I work with a limited number of wineries at any given time.
Meaningful change requires immersion — understanding your customer file, your numbers, your team, and your operational realities.
When specialized execution is needed, I collaborate with trusted independent partners. But strategy remains centralized and accountable.
I’m not building an agency.
I’m building partnerships that move the needle.