NEW YORK, NY June 2, 2022 | Thirstie, the leading e-commerce provider for beverage alcohol brands, today announced that former Republic Beverage and National Distributing Company (RNDC) President and CEO, Tom Cole, has joined the company as an advisory board member and investor. Within Cole’s role, he will provide ongoing counsel to Thirstie’s leadership team, assist in shaping key partnerships and provide strategic support to the company’s roadmap.
Cole brings with him decades of experience in the beverage alcohol industry and played an essential role in the creation and success of RNDC, the second-largest wine & spirits wholesaler in the U.S. During his tenure at RNDC, Cole served as the company’s President and CEO and led the company from $600 million in sales across three states to $13 billion across 38 states. In addition to his new role at Thirstie, today, Cole is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and serves as a Senior Advisor to the Board for RNDC.
“Throughout my career, I have been at the forefront of establishing institutional change for the beverage alcohol industry,” stated Cole. “Thirstie’s core mission of transforming this sector is in alignment with what I set out to do when entering this space nearly four decades ago. I am excited to play an integral role in Thirstie’s mission and help the company continue to bring true innovation to this industry.”
Thirstie has been an e-commerce pioneer within beverage alcohol since its launch in 2014. The company was first-to-market with an enterprise e-commerce solution for alcohol suppliers. Thirstie’s proprietary technology enables integration of the company’s robust network of retailers to meet the industry’s compliance standards and scalable needs for brands. Most recently, Thirstie launched the first alcohol branded gift-card solution, focused on driving consumer adoption of Thirstie-powered digital storefronts.
“We are thrilled to onboard seasoned veteran, Tom Cole, to our Advisory Board and as a key investor,” stated Devaraj Southworth, CEO & C0-Founder of Thirstie. “His knowledge, expertise, and experience within the beverage alcohol industry are going to accelerate Thirstie’s full vision.”
About Thirstie
Thirstie is the leading e-commerce solution for beverage alcohol brands. Established in 2014 by Co-Founders, Devaraj Southworth and Maxim Razmakhin, Thirstie’s patented technology increases online consumer interactions for the world’s most iconic alcohol companies. Thirstie delivers a compliant end-to-end full customer experience with its e-commerce, retailer, data, and gift card solutions. Thirstie’s national network of licensed retailers seamlessly fulfills online orders funneled through a branded webstore that are routed to them through the company’s proprietary algorithm. Thirstie’s suite of best-in-class data capabilities helps brands better understand and target their customers. In 2021, the company launched the industry-first alcohol branded gift card solution, enabling brands to further drive online retail revenue. For more information about Thirstie, please visit www.thirstie.com.
