Rohnert Park, CA (February 11, 2015)—Sonoma State University’s (SSU) School of Business and Economics dean William Silver announced a $3M donation from Pamela and George Hamel establishing the Hamel Family Faculty Chair in Wine Business, and the appointment of Dr. Damien Wilson in the inaugural term of this new position.
”Pam and I are delighted to announce our endowment of the Hamel Family Faculty Chair at the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University, and we are extremely pleased with the selection of Damien Wilson as the first recipient,” said George Hamel. “We were eager to invest in Dean Silver’s vision for the Wine Business Institute at SSU and support his goal of establishing the program as the preeminent wine industry academic program in the world. With Damien’s addition to an already illustrious faculty, both Pam and I feel that we’re well on our way to making that vision a reality.”
“The Hamel Family Faculty Chair in Wine Business is a transformational gift. It has enabled us to go out and recruit the best wine business faculty in the world, and to support the great faculty we already have here as they teach the new generation of wine business leaders, and produce the research to help wine businesses deliver results,” said Silver.
“The reasons for being honored and excited to join the team at Sonoma State are almost too many to list,” shared Wilson. “For starters there’s a crack team of wine-focused faculty working here and the School leadership is keenly focused on strategy and growth. The Wine Business Institute is in just a perfect position to build on its success and play a key role serving both the US and global wine industry.”
Wilson, who has been serving as Director of the Masters of Science in Wine Business programs Dijon’s Burgundy School of Business since 2008, will join the Sonoma State faculty in August. He stated that his primary foci will be working with the leadership and faculty to educate graduates who are both prepared for and able to enact change in business practices, and bringing the global wine sector together to learn from each other.
“The wine sector is a very appealing one in which to work. However, the romantic image hides the fact that around the world most wine is grown in basic farming regions, which provide consistent wines for a growing number of new consumers in the category,” according to Wilson. In addition to core skills ranging from logistics to marketing, “The wine business professional today needs to earn instant credibility among the professional network by conveying wine knowledge as well as a capacity to manage small-parcel iconic brands just as adeptly as an annual budget of shipping containers bound for a national retailer.”
Originally from Australia, Wilson’s career blends both professional and academic experiences. In wine business, he has worked in the production, distribution, sales and service sectors. In his academic career, he’s recruited and taught students from 40 different countries across four academic institutions, led curricular innovation efforts, and conducted and presented research around the world. Wilson holds four degrees in wine business, culminating in a PhD from the University of South Australia.
“At Hamel Family Wines, we have been direct beneficiaries of the Wine Business Institute at SSU,” said Hamel. “Our eldest son and managing director of Hamel Family Wines, George III, recently completed his MBA at SSU with a concentration in Wine Business, and our operations manager, Kirstie Dyer, graduated with distinction. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with the University as it continues to attract top talent to our beloved Sonoma Valley.”
“The Hamel Family Chair will be based at the Wine Spectator Learning Center, the new home for SSU’s Wine Business Institute, which is set to start construction later this year. This is the lead gift focused on our programs, and it leverages the recent donations for this innovative learning space to directly support students and faculty,” said Silver. “Damien brings the perfect blend of academic, professional and international experience to the position.”
“This gift represents a substantial commitment to our talent pool, as well as adding noteworthy global ‘brand’ value,” explained Ray Johnson, director of Sonoma State’s Wine Business Institute. Named faculty chair positions are prestigious in the world of academia and elevate the institution’s visibility and reputation among scholars, partners and prospective students.
Degrees like the wine MBA are drawing increasing interest regionally and nationally as the wine industry evolves. To meet expanding demand, the Wine Business Institute will add a new cohort of its executive wine MBA, this time based at the Sonoma State campus. The program starts in April and will be the third graduate wine business degree offered at SSU, complimenting the Professional Wine MBA and the Napa-based Executive MBA for the wine industry.
The Hamel Family Chair in Wine Business will be a five-year renewable appointment with responsibilities including launching new programs, establishing global partnerships with universities and wine businesses, leading research and collaboration, and engaging wine business leaders in the work of the Institute.
About Hamel Family Wines:
Hamel Family Wines strives to make a limited quantity of consistently great wines, primarily from Bordeaux varietals, and, importantly, to have fun while doing so. We value quality over quantity, enjoyment over tedium, and building for long-term lasting success over short-term quick hits. We endeavor to produce the highest quality wines from grapes grown on our Sonoma Valley estates. Farming our vineyards sustainably with organic and biodynamic practices, we seek to always be mindful of our role as responsible stewards of the land, grateful for our customers, respectful neighbors and appreciative employers. Learn more at hamelfamilywines.com.
About Damien Wilson:
Originally from Australia, Damien Wilson has served as Director of the Master of Science in Wine Business program at Dijon’s Burgundy School of Business, France, since 2008. Across a twenty-year period, Wilson has linked academic and professional experiences in wine business, working in each stage of the industry, from production and distribution to sales and service. His interest and experience began when working in wine retail in his parents’ convenience store in Darwin as a teenager, where he noticed that consumers regularly asked for advice about the wine they were buying.
Today, Wilson holds four degrees in wine business, culminating in a PhD from the University of South Australia. He has recruited or taught students from more than 40 different countries, across four different academic institutions. He is an innovator in on-line and technology-enabled education and has led curriculum development efforts for a number of different programs in wine business. His passion remains the intersection of consumer interests and behavior with those of the wine industry, and his focus has been creating programs that help students to gain understanding and skills in that area.
Damien Wilson has published in academic, trade, and consumer journals, and presented at academic and industry conference in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania. Recently, his research has focused on digital wine business and the potential of crowd funding as a source of finance for wine businesses. He has also conducted commercial research projects for major wine companies, government associations, multinationals and small producers.
About Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute:
Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is located in the heart of California wine country and was created through a public-private partnership between the University and the wine industry. It offers a B.S. with a concentration in wine business strategies (since 1998), an MBA with an emphasis in wine business (since 2008), and an executive MBA in wine business (since 2012). In addition, seminars and an online Certificate in Wine Business Management prepare students and industry professionals on topics such as accounting and finance, wine sales and marketing. Its faculty members are published experts, active researchers, and requested presenters on pressing industry topics locally and around the world. The Wine Business Institute operates within Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics, a fully accredited AACSB institution. Learn more at sonoma.edu/winebiz.
