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O’Neill Vintners & Distillers Announces New Talent to Support Growth Trajectory

Ron Mertz, Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy

LARKSPUR, Calif., Aug. 15, 2024 — O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a Certified B Corporation, announces three key additions to its leadership team to bolster continued growth. Ron Mertz joins as Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy, Christina Rivera-Glenn as Vice President of Luxury Operations, and Jenna Kujundzich as Vice President of Luxury Brand Strategy. 

A 32-year wine industry veteran, Mertz joins O’Neill Vintners & Distillers from Washington’s House of Smith, where he served as Executive Vice President of Sales for two years. Prior to his tenure at House of Smith, Mertz spent 12 years spearheading exponential sales growth at A to Z Wineworks, quadrupling the business to nearly 400,000 cases per year and making it a top selling Oregon wine brand. This growth was a key driver in facilitating its sale to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2022. Mertz will focus on driving customer synergies and implementing strategic commercial initiatives.

“Ron is an accomplished wine industry leader who has a strong track record of delivering business and channel growth, as well as leading and developing a high performing team,” said Tom Fantham, Chief Commercial Officer at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. “I am pleased to welcome Ron to the O’Neill team and look forward to working with him as we continue our growth transformation journey.”

Christina Rivera-Glenn, Vice President of Luxury Operations

To support its new luxury division, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers has appointed two top industry innovators with extensive experience in driving high-level consumer engagement.

Rivera-Glenn’s comprehensive professional background spans luxury hospitality and sales operations with an emphasis on experience strategy, branding, direct to consumer sales, regulatory compliance, and operational optimization. Most recently at DAOU Family Estates, she was instrumental in building the luxury lifestyle brand and its portfolio. At O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, Rivera-Glenn will spearhead the luxury portfolio’s direct-to-consumer sales strategy, consumer experiences, and operations, including tasting rooms, events and activations. 

Jenna Kujundzich, Vice President of Luxury Brand Strategy

Kujundzich, a luxury brand strategist, has spent the last decade focused on brand building, experiential marketing, hospitality, communications, and driving sales through strategic initiatives. At DAOU, her creativity and efforts leading the experiential marketing and partnership platforms were intrinsic to its success. Kujundzich will be responsible for driving overall luxury brand and public relations strategy in her new role, including creative content, social media and partnerships.

“As we build the foundation of our luxury division, these two remarkable leaders will bring immense passion and vision when growing a portfolio designed to engage the hearts and minds of our consumers,” stated Maeve Pesquera, Executive Vice President of Luxury at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. “Christina and Jenna’s collective experience in building differentiated and compelling luxury brands will be a tremendous asset to our organization.”

About O’Neill Vintners & Distillers
O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a Certified B Corporation, was founded in 2004 by industry leader and entrepreneur Jeff O’Neill. For 20 years, the vertically integrated winery has produced premium wine and spirits throughout California and has a reputation for producing consumer-focused brands while being a leader in sustainability. O’Neill Vintners & Distillers received the Green Medal Leader Award in 2021 by the Wine Institute and achieved B Corp Certification in 2022. The company currently operates in Larkspur, Parlier, Sonoma, and Paso Robles, California, and has grown a national brands portfolio to include Line 39, Harken Chardonnay, Rabble Wines, Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines, FitVine Wine, Robert Hall Winery, Allegro Cellars, Ram’s Gate Winery, Substance Wines and BrandyLab. For more information, please visit www.ONeillWine.com

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