Stoli Group Adds To Transformational Team

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group, the leading global ultra-premium spirits and wines company, today announced the addition of Kathryn Walters as Global Brand Leader for Vodkas, Mike Lloyd as Global Leader for Ultra-premium Brands, and Jon Pepper, MW, as Managing Director for Tenute Del Mondo, Stoli's wine group. The three join newly appointed CEO Damian McKinney, who is already driving a major transformation at Stoli Group.          

"After a detailed, global search for the world's leading spirits and wine brand leaders, we are thrilled to have these outstanding industry experts join us. They are proven insurgents who know how to lead at pace, and are fully on board to align and build momentum for the Stoli brands," commented Damian McKinney, CEO of Stoli Group. "Kathryn, Mike and Jon have a shared admiration for our iconic brand and exceptional offerings. They are already contributing to our mission delivery team," he added.

A marketer, entrepreneur and sales leader, Kathryn Walters joins Stoli as Global Brand Leader for Vodka. Previously, Walters was Vice President, Field Marketing Remy Cointreau USA where she was responsible for elevating such well-known brands as Rémy Martin, Louis XIII, Cointreau, The Macallan and Mount Gay Rum among others. Earlier in her career, Walters worked at Independent Distillers, leading new product development for the Asia Pacific market, as National Marketing Director. In her entrepreneurial life, Walters founded St. Lucy Botanists, the first natural perfume brand in the Caribbean. 

As a brand steward, Mike Lloyd, Global Leader for Ultra-premium Brands, has delivered results for leading alcohol brands including Jameson, Chivas, Wild Turkey, Dewar's, Amarula Cream, Scottish Leader Blended Scotch Whisky and Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky. His extensive experience extends to other leading consumer brands including fast moving consumer goods such as Mr Kipling, Cadbury Cakes, and Uncle Toby's.

A Master of Wine, Jon Pepper joins Stoli as Managing Director for Tenute Del Mondo, the group's ultra-premium wine arm. Previously, Pepper served as Chief Operating Officer for UK wine and spirits business Enotria&Coe where he worked with superstar wineries from around the world. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of wine importer Buckingham Schenk, where he oversaw the company's integration into the pan-European Schenk Group while creating Argentine brand Viñalba and building it into the UK's best-selling premium Argentine wine. Earlier in his career Jon was in luxury goods marketing at l'Oreal and LVMH.

"Stoli continues to win the highest accolades for exceptional product, as was just announced with Beverage Tasting Institute's prestigious 2020 Best Vodka award for Elit," McKinney commented. "By adding some of the best leaders in the industry, we are well positioned to elevate Stoli's outstanding product and to deliver on the company's ambitious goals."  

About Stoli ® Group

Stoli® Group was established in 2013 and is responsible for the production, management, and distribution of SPI's global spirits portfolio. Mainly known for the Stolichnaya® Vodka brand, Stoli Group has expanded its portfolio in recent years to appeal to premium on-premise and more sophisticated global consumers. Signature brands are: Stoli® Vodka, Elit™ Vodka, Bayou® Rum, Kentucky Owl®, Villa One™, Gator Bite™ Rum Liquers, Cenote™ Tequila, Kah™ Tequila and Se Busca™ Mezcal. With a presence across a network of more than 176 markets, Stoli Group works with a passionate team of 200 distributors around the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Stoli has production facilities in Russia, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States some of which are steeped in history as early as the 1900s. For more information, visit stoli-group.com.

Contact:
Machie Madden/Maureen Landers                                  
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212/292-8560

SOURCE Stoli Group