Napa Valley's C. Mondavi & Family names Wallenbrock CEO
C. Mondavi & Family, a 74-year-old Napa Valley wine company behind the Charles Krug and CK Mondavi and Family brands, on Tuesday announced Judd Wallenbrock as the new president and CEO.
Effective June 19, he succeeds John Lennon, who has been interim CEO since November 2016. Wallenbrock also will join the board of directors.
The 74-year-old family-owned wine company is pursuing a five-year strategic plan to pursue significant growth. C. Mondavi & Family produced 1.7 million 9-liter cases of wine last year, according to the Book of Lists.
'Judd's leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as the success he has exhibited within three-tier and consumer-direct business models, both luxury and lifestyle wineries, will be great assets to C. Mondavi & Family,' brothers and co-proprietors Marc and Peter Mondavi Jr. said in a joint statement. 'We look forward to working with Judd as we take our family-owned business to the next level and ensure our success for future generations.'
Wallenbrock called C. Mondavi 'one of the great family-owned wine estates.'
'I look forward to working closely with Marc, Peter and the fourth generation, as we build momentum for the company's great wine brands while taking C. Mondavi & Family to new heights,' he said in a statement.
Wallenbrock has more than 35 years of wine industry leadership and executive experience with well-known brands. He was chief operating officer of DeLoach Vineyards and president of Jessup Cellars and of Michel-Schlumberger.
He spent 11 years working with Robert Mondavi, a brand started by the C. Mondavi brothers' uncle. During that time, Wallenbrock was vice president for global brand development then vice president and general manager of Robert Mondavi Coastal Winery.
He founded Brand-Aid Wine Consulting, working with as Chalk Hill Winery, Roshambo and Signorello Estate. He also founded the philanthropic label, Humanitas, and operated it for over 15 years.
Wallenbrock earned a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA in international business from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
He is a member of the Arts Council Napa Valley board.
C. Mondavi & Family brands also include the Purple Heart benefit wine for veterans' causes, The Divining Rod, Fortissimo and an eponymous label.
Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the Charles Krug winery in 1943. Two of their sons became Napa Valley wine industry icons. Peter Mondavi Sr. continued running Krug, while his brother Robert Mondavi left to start the winery under his name in 1966.
Robert Mondavi died in May 2008 at 94, and his brother, in February 2016 at 101.
Jeff Quackenbush (jquackenbush@busjrnl.com, 707-521-4256) covers the wine business and commercial construction and real estate.
