Monthly Roundup: Beverage Alcohol Industry Promotions and Awards

Farabaugh Joins BevMo! as Chief Marketing Officer

BevMo! has announced that Michelle Farabaugh has joined the company as chief marketing officer.

Michelle-Headshot
Farabaugh

The former West Marine and Smith & Hawken executive will helm all of BevMo!’s marketing, promotions, advertising and public relations, according to a press release, with the goal of keeping the brand aligned with its guiding philosophy: to make shopping for beverages as much fun as drinking them.

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“BevMo! stands much to gain from Farabaugh’s track record of innovative solutions that drive massive growth for a range of companies, from start-ups to Fortune 500,” said BevMo! CEO Alan Johnson. “Also, Michelle has exceptional talent for direct marketing and customer loyalty, which is a central component of BevMo!’s ongoing strategy. Bringing her on board reinforces our commitment to knowledge and passion when it comes to cultivating the resources that will ensure BevMo!’s success in the years to come.”

Farabaugh has 20-plus years of marketing experience, most of which deals directly with strengthening successful consumer and business-to-business brands. Her acumen spans iconic companies such as Galls, West Marine, Smith & Hawken, PETsMART Direct and LENSER/Merkle, an omnichannel direct marketing firm. She has a specialty for marketing strategies that synchronously target multiple channels and customer segments, a critical skill for expanding BevMo!’s footprint, according to a press release.

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Bacardi Fills New VP of Fashion Position

Akiko Maeda has joined Bacardi as its Vice President (VP) of Fashion.

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Maeda

In this newly create role, Akiko is responsible for developing partnerships that further incorporate the iconic Bacardi portfolio of spirits brands into the fashion world. Akiko will work closely with the Marketing and Commercial teams in delivering key events, social, and digital activations with fashion industry influencers, according to a press release.

Akiko is based at the Bacardi global headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Akiko brings a wealth of both fashion and digital media experience. She joins the company from IMG Worldwide, where she most recently served as VP of Product and Platform Development for the group’s fashion arm. In this role, she advised emerging designers on media activities, sales and finance planning. Prior to that she served as VP of Social Media, where she designed a suite of community-based digital products for athletes and led IMG’s investment in ModaOperandi.com, an online luxury fashion retailer.

Originally from Tokyo, Akiko is fluent in Japanese and English.

A New Generation Takes Lead at Santa Ema

The third generation of the founding Pavone family has taken the helm at the Chilean winery, Santa Ema.

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Left to right, Felix Pavone Arbe, Rossana Pavone, Felix Pavone, Andres Sanhueza.

Siblings Felix and Rossana Pavone have spent their careers at Santa Ema under the guidance of their father, Felix Pavone Arbe. Grounded in the heritage of the fifty year old winery, the duo look to breathe new life into Santa Ema with exciting initiatives as they assume chief leadership roles and seats on the board of directors, according to a press release.

This spring, Santa Ema will refresh their Reserve Tier with new eye catching labels aimed at increasing shelf appeal, while maintaining a core Chilean and Santa Ema brand identity, according to the company. Rossana and Felix are also working with chief winemaker Andres Sanhueza to incorporate new vineyard sites from Chile’s Leyda Valley, a coastal region that is gaining international notice for excelling in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

“We seek to carry forward Santa Ema’s tradition and heritage of high quality, terroir driven wines,” Felix said. “But we are always innovating and searching for new ways to stay up to date with the markets.”

In homage to the Pavone heritage, the winery is also releasing a new vintage of Rivalta, a blend of estate grown Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

“Rivalta is the name of the town where our grandfather was born in Piedmont, Italy. It’s a small town where they produce wines mostly in family owned wineries with little vineyards,” says Rossana Pavone, Chief Operating Officer of Santa Ema. “We want to keep Santa Ema as a family owned business, focused on the smaller scale production of fine wines. That way we maintain the passion for winemaking that my grandfather brought to Chile.”

Ackerman Appointed as Global Spirits USA National Sales Director

Global Spirits USA has appointed Steve Ackerman to the position of national sales director.

Ackerman
Ackerman

In this newly created position, Ackerman will lead the wine and spirit portfolio sales team by expanding the sales team and distributor network, developing strategic partnerships, and creating and executing national sales strategies that will drive Global Spirit brands in the U.S. market.

A veteran of the beverage alcohol industry, Ackerman has over 25 years of leadership experience with companies including Allied Domecq, William Grant & Sons, Inc., and most recently as vice-president, national sales manager of Van Gogh Imports.

“I joined Global Spirits at a very exciting stage in the company’s development,” said Ackerman. “We have a fabulous portfolio to work with, and a newly expanded team in place to ensure extended sales and distribution.”

David Milligan Selections Taps Chef for Sales Position

David Milligan Selections (DMS), an importer of estate-bottled wines based in New York, announced the addition of Kevin Metivier as Director of Sales for the Western U.S.

Metivier officially joined DMS on February 1. He is focusing on states west of the Mississippi including, Illinois, Wisconsin, andMinnesota.

Having previously owned two successful French Bistros in Estes Park (Bistro in The Park) and the greater Boulder area (Bistro 119), “Kevin has a very impressive on-premise background and rich career in food and wine that will help drive sales,” said Alex Milligan, VP of DMS.

Metivier has been named one of the top chefs under 35 by N.A.S.A magazine and his restaurant was given a “highly recommended” rating by the L.A. Times, according to a press release.

Metivier served as general manager and sommelier at Charley’s 517, the Mobil 5-star restaurant in Houston, where he created a wine list that was rated one of the top 100 in the world and a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner for eight consecutive years.

He had the rare opportunity to work under Christian Mouiex and Jean-Claude Berrouet at Chateau Petrus. Other travels included working the harvest under Henri Krug at Clos de Mesnil in Champagne, working the harvest at Dopff and Irion in Riquewihr, Alsace and cellar duties at Chateau de Beauregard in Fuisse under Jacques Burrier.

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