Vintage Wine Estates hires new marketing chief with data analytics, AI experience

Vintage Wine Estates Inc., one of the largest U.S. vintners, producing local brands such as B.R. Cohn wine and Ace Cider, has hired Ryan Watson as chief marketing officer.

Watson is set to start in the role Jan. 16, overseeing data and analytics, brands, innovation and portfolio management, direct-to-consumer and digital strategy, design, public relations and communications, the company announced Thursday.

Vintage said Watson has nearly 20 years of experience in global, data-driven, consumer-oriented marketing in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer operations in multiple industries. Most recently, he was a partner at Boston Consulting Group, focused on leveraged advanced analytics and artificial intelligence in marketing.

Seth Kaufman, president and CEO, said Watson will “lead our efforts in creating a consumer-focused enterprise that can deliver sustainable growth.” Kaufman joined the company in October as part of the company’s turnaround effort started last February.

“We expect him to be a significant contributor as we measurably simplify the business and our business model,” Kaufman said. Part of a five-point rebound plan included slashing the number of selections in the brand portfolio. “Ryan’s significant knowledge in data driven analysis will help to develop capability within the business for deeper understanding of market dynamics, consumer behavior and emerging trends. We believe this will prove valuable as we craft a consumer-centric portfolio strategy grounded in relevant and desirable brands that create a virtuous cycle across physical retail, on-premise, eBusiness and on-site visitation to optimize the cost and impact of customer acquisition.”

Before Boston Consulting, Watson’s career included stints at Amazon, Kraft Heinz and Tesco. He started at Goldman Sachs & Co., advancing from analyst to vice president. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in eonomics from Princeton University.

Headquartered on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, Vintage’s portfolio includes more than three dozen brands from Napa and Sonoma counties, California’s Central Coast, Oregon and Washington. The list also includes Bar Dog, Cameron Hughes, Cherry Pie, Firesteed and Kunde. Sales are more than 2.2 million cases annually, making the company the nation’s 14th largest producer.