Former AMASS VP to Join Wolves Whiskey
Wolves, the luxury whiskey brand founded by two fashion luminaries, has brought on an executive with experience at AMASS and Pernod Ricard as its new president.
Jennifer Marks brings to Wolves nearly two decades in the wine and spirits industries, most recently as executive vice president of sales and chief commercial officer for botanic-based brand AMASS, joining the company in its nascent stages and growing it across the U.S. and eventually throughout Europe. Prior to AMASS, Marks worked at Pernod Ricard USA where she served as brand director for Plymouth Gin.
Now she’ll apply that experience to the boutique whiskey brand launched in 2019 by James Bond of Los Angeles sneaker mecca Undefeated, and Jon Buscemi of the Buscemi brand and truffle hot sauce Truff. The pair joined forces with 13th generation master distiller Marko Karakasevic of California’s Charbay Distillery in Sonoma, California on a series of limited-edition small batch whiskeys.
Wolves has been primarily direct-to-consumer, gaining a cult following for its releases while partnering on exclusive bottlings for The Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel, motorsports gathering The Quail, and Rolls Royce.
Those high-profile collaborations have helped establish the tenor of the brand, according to Marks.
“We also have broader distribution plans in place and ambitions to bring to market a flagship expression at a more accessible price point without losing the aspirational qualities of the brand,” she said.
The focus now is on “comprehensively redefining luxury American whiskey” with an emphasis on the fast-growing single malt category. Marks added that she’ll continue to develop a diversified marketing strategy across all channels.
Before moving in-house, Marks spent a decade on the agency side working with various other brands, most notably Tanqueray Gin, Zacapa Rum, Hennessy, Belvedere, and Glenmorangie. She will continue to be based in New York City, giving Los Angeles-based Wolves a bi-coastal executive presence.
Ghost Tequila Taps Another Former Mast-Jägermeister Exec
Following the appointment of one former Mast-Jägermeister executive as CEO in April, Ghost Tequila has brought on another veteran of the herbal liqueur brand to run its marketing operations.
That person, one of the first hires to arrive under CEO Jeff Popkin’s administration, is new CMO Chris Peddy, credited for helping relaunch Mast-Jägermeister to a new generation of consumers, and part of a team that stabilized a major decline at the company. He also helped lead the acquisition and partnership of Dwayne Johnson’s Teremana Tequila.
Before Mast-Jägermeister, Peddy ran his own brand consulting firm working with clients and agencies spanning CPG, spirits, technology, and lifestyle. He also served as vice president of global brands and marketing for Beam Spirits, where he managed and built Beam’s global brand portfolio across multiple core and emerging regions.
Now he’ll work on driving awareness and trial of Ghost Tequila to existing and emerging lovers of spicy spirits, he said. Focus will be on the growth potential of the brand through the core margarita occasion, as well as new segments and occasions where spicy is on trend.
“Almost half of margarita lovers now enjoy spicy, so we will continue to support our on-premise accounts to drive trial of the Ghost spicy margarita as well as allow bartenders to innovate with new Ghost cocktails,” he said.
Education and bartender advocacy have been key to growing the brand, and Peddy added that he plans to amplify that work through account programs, and experiential and social media campaigns.
Spirits Industry Veteran Joins E11EVEN Vodka As COO
E11EVEN Vodka has brought in former Creek Water Whiskey global president, Michael Lambiase, as its new COO.
E11EVEN Vodka made its debut in October 2020 as the Miami nightclub’s branded ultra-premium vodka, expanding outside of Florida late last year.
Prior to Creek Water Whiskey, Lambiase has held roles at Diageo, Bacardi, and William Grant and Sons. In his new role, Lambiase will be responsible for overseeing E11EVEN Vodka’s production and global supply chain process, managing the brand’s distillery and supplier partners to optimize the critical production, sourcing, and supply chain to meet the growing needs of the brand.