NAPA, CALIFORNIA | JULY 11, 2014: The Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense’s (WWS) Winemaking Roundtable will hold “C-Level Winemaker’s Financial Finesse,” with guest speaker Lori Felando, Chief Financial Officer of St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery (http://www.stsupery.com). The meeting will be held on July 16, 2014, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm. at St. Supéry, 8440 St Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA.
The free roundtable meeting is open to WWS Winemaking roundtable members and interested women winemakers and viticulturists who have emailed and received RSVP guest confirmations through the Winemaker RT Chair. (See below.)
ABOUT THE EVENT: For winemakers who wish to be in senior management teams, no matter what size winery, understanding financial statements, plans and having the ability to discuss the impact of numerous winemaking decisions on the big picture are essential leadership skills.
ABOUT THE MEETING: Brooke Langelius, Assistant Winemaker at St. Supéry, will welcome attendees at 3:30 p.m. and then provide a behind-the-scenes cellar tour geared towards winemaker attendees’ technical interests while providing the opportunity to get acquainted or reconnect with other roundtable winemakers. Guests will then be welcomed back to the meeting area at 4:00 p.m. for hospitality before the guest speaker begins at 4:10 p.m., featuring a sampling of St. Supéry’s wines to accompany Ms. Felando’s program.
Winemaking Roundtable Chair and WWS member Julie Hagler Lumgair will introduce the program tailored specifically to winemakers with Ms. Felando, a noted industry expert with a long track record, including highlights working as Controller for Domaine Carneros and St. Francis Winery, as well as DTC Finance Manager for Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines prior to her CFO role at St. Supéry.
Through a friendly, open discussion complimented by Ms. Langelius’ tour, Ms. Felando will provide perspective about how a winemaker in a winery of any size can brush up on C-level winemaking financial finesse in a fun, fearless fashion!
As winemakers are known for being “numbers people,” Ms. Felando’s discussion will take us beyond the basics and dig into the C-level financial communication points that winemakers “own” and need to be strategic and clear about in communications with owners and management.
“This type of candid and personal conversation with a noted industry finance officer is an exceptional opportunity for our roundtable members and guests,” stated Ms. Lumgair. “Our Winemaking Roundtable is a special group filled with talent and invaluable camaraderie from Napa, Sonoma and the North Coast. Topics focus on advanced career skills we need as winemakers but aren’t always easy to get in the daily winemaking environment.”
Details of this event are at http://www.evite.com/l/SkjcygJYAq. To RSVP, or for any questions on this event or future WWS Winemaking Roundtable events, please contact Ms. Lumgair at Julie@Lumgair.com.
ABOUT WWS ROUNDTABLES: WWS’ seven current professional roundtables serve to provide a safe and confidential environment to meet in small peer groups on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. According to WWS’ Professional Development Director Susan Kornblatt Idell, “Members network, provide advice and support for one another, as well as foster educational occasions by inviting guest speakers in their fields and discussing ‘hot issues’ facing members in their day-to-day work.” She added, “Multiple Roundtables have developed for our members in finance, accounting and human resources fields in the wine industry. We also have roundtables in winemaking and the marketing/direct-to-consumer fields. A new roundtable is in development on wine education.”
ABOUT WWS: Women for WineSense is a not-for-profit organization 501(c)6 formed in 1990 to help promote women working in the wine industry. WWS serves to help its members advance their careers in the wine industry by providing educational events, as well as aid wine enthusiasts in developing their wine knowledge. The Napa/Sonoma Chapter currently has more than 300 members of which 80% are professionals in the wine industry. To join or learn more about WWS’ roundtables, contact Susan Kornblatt Idell at ProDevDirector@WWSNapaSonoma.com, and for membership, please contact Ellen Reich Luchtel at Membership@WWSNapaSonoma.com or visit the WWS chapter’s website: WWSNapaSonoma.com.
