RUTHERFORD, CALIFORNIA |October 25, 2024: On Tuesday, October 29, from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. PST, the Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women For WineSense (WWS) will welcome back members and wine industry professional guests for three ways to reconnect and recharge after harvest. WWS will host an opening reception with optional organized speed networking workshop followed by an insightful presentation by two experts and candid discussion about “Retained Executive Search Recruiting Success plus WBM Editor’s Career Trends and Insights.”
First, Norm Mitroff, Founder / Managing Partner, Mitroff Consulting & Associates, will discuss an executive search retained recruiter’s latest market outlook, with insights and advice on one of the most compelling- and rarely publicized – pathways for senior roles and niche executive recruiting – retained search. Second, Erin Kirschenmann, Managing Editor, Wine Business Monthly, will go beyond the published report, sharing insights from the new WBM Salary Survey and latest post-harvest job market activity. This covers a different side of recruiting vs. retained executive search, and will include behind the scenes thoughts on hiring trends by roles, region, size of operation and more. A lively question and answer session will follow.
This dynamic gathering will be both live-streamed and generously hosted at Napa Valley’s iconic St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery by long-time WWS member, Winemaker Brooke Shenk. St. Supéry is located at 8440 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA, 94573
ABOUT THE EVENT: The event will be held both onsite at St. Supéry Estate and online via private Zoom live-stream. Thegoals are to foster valuable connections among attendees and provide actionable career insights in a welcoming atmosphere.
At 4:00 p.m. the event begins with an exclusive reception enjoying hospitality and an assortment of noted St. Supéry wines. At 4:15 p.m., attendees have the option to participate in the organized speed networking workshop to enhance and expand connections, or continue enjoying the reception. At 5:15 p.m., early Zoom live-stream log-ons open, with WWS Napa | Sonoma chapter Board Director, Hillary Silva, serving as the technical moderator for virtual participants. The presentation starts at 5:30 p.m., concluding at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Erin Kirschenmann commented, “The state of recruiting and hiring in the wine industry is very much dependent on who you speak with: either it’s easy and there are plenty of candidates to be had, or there just aren’t enough qualified candidates. The Winejobs.com Index, however, shows that the industry is staying strong, with emerging new patterns. New data around compensation also provides an important benchmark for both employers and employees. We’ll talk about the latest in salaries, compensation and hiring trends.”
Norm Mitroff said in this discussion that “Valuable insight will be gained from the candidate side and the employer side. For candidates passively or actively looking for their next career opportunity, we’ll share the most important ways to stand out successfully at all points of the process; and for employers, the most effective way to fill a key senior position.”
WWS Napa | Sonoma chapter President, Julie Lumgair, noted, “Hosting this educational event that fosters connections and community is so well aligned with our mission. Women For WineSense is celebrating over 34 years of building strong educational and personal connections among wine industry leaders and wine lovers, both locally and nationally. We’re all working hard to offer many great opportunities to gather, learn, connect and enjoy!”
RSVP DETAILS: Please, no walk-ins. Register at this link. This event is open to active WWS members and all qualified professional non-members that are registered and confirmed in advance. All wine industry professionals, women and men, are warmly welcome.
WWS kindly requests onsite attendees bring a bottle of wine as thanks for our generous hosts and speakers for their support of this non-profit organization. Your support allows events with leading host venues and experts to remain free for members with minimal visitor fees.
Once onsite capacity fills, remaining registrations will be for the live-stream with a waitlist for onsite spaces. Both onsite and virtual registered attendees will receive a private Zoom link by 9 a.m. Tuesday, October 29th. To learn more about WWS, contact Ms. Lumgair at julie.lumgair@gmail.com.
ABOUT WOMEN FOR WINESENSE: WWS is a national not-for-profit organization 501(c)6. The Napa|Sonoma Chapter founded in 1990 is the founding chapter of this national organization which provides outstanding educational and networking opportunities to both wine industry professionals and wine enthusiasts by presenting educational, insightful and stimulating events in a welcoming, fun environment. Women and men 21 years old or more are welcome to join. Information on the national and 10 regional chapters is at www.womenforwinesense.org.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Erin Kirschenmann, DipWSET, is managing editor for Wine Business Monthly and has been with the company since 2012. In addition to production responsibilities for the monthly trade magazine, she writes about business, technology, sales and marketing, and also oversees content and programming for WBM‘s symposia.
She speaks on wine industry trends at numerous conferences, including the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the World Bulk Wine Exhibition, and guest lectures on wine, media and public relations. In 2022, she joined the Napa Valley Wine Academy as a WSET instructor. Erin serves as a judge in international and regional wine competitions. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications with a journalism emphasis from Sonoma State University. When she’s not working in wine, she’s at the dog park with Scout, on a run or curled up with a good book.
Norman S. Mitroff, Ph.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Mitroff Consulting & Associates who places CEOs, Presidents, CFOs, and upper management professionals in positions that maximize their specific skill sets.
Prior to entering executive search, Norman was a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist. This expertise, the ability to understand cultural fit of the company and candidate, assures clients they will obtain the most qualified candidate for their company’s goals and future success.
Additionally, Norman is a Director for the Alliance of Chief Executives, which is an invitation-only consortium bringing together hundreds of public and private companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each month the Alliance of CEO’s provides firsthand access to world business leaders, and ultra-private peer groups where leaders of companies can get support and advice unavailable elsewhere. This gives Norman the opportunity to help maximize the quality of life for the leaders and their employees and develop better business climates.
Norman received his B.A. degree in psychology and a M.S. degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling from San Francisco State University. He earned his doctorate degree from the University of Portland in Clinical Psychology. Norman also attended the Cordon Bleu, Paris campus, is studying the violin and is an active member of Rotary.
ABOUT THE HOSTS:
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery is a 100% Estate Grown, sustainably farmed winery located in the renowned Rutherford growing region in the heart of Napa Valley. The winery combines French château estate tradition with Napa Valley terroir and a focus on Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and other red Bordeaux varieties.
Committed to producing the highest quality estate wines without compromise, St. Supéry Estate is proud to be certified Napa Green Vineyard and Napa Green Winery. With St. Supéry’s reputation based on its valuable Napa Valley properties, a primary goal is to support biodiversity and sustainability while continuing the founding vision of a Napa Valley château for generations to come.
The winery was founded in 1982. After a decade of researching properties with the advice from Napa Valley’s most respected vintners, the founding family purchased Dollarhide Ranch, some 1,535 acres of unplanted land high in the northeastern mountains which today is planted to 500+ acres of vines and the source of distinctive estate Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
The winery in Rutherford is home to winemaking, visitor facilities, and 35 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. All the estate acreage owned by St. Supéry is farmed sustainably using minimal intervention and cultivation. In 2023, St. Supéry added a second estate vineyard in Rutherford planted to 42 acres of Sauvginon Blanc.
In addition to being recognized for award winning wines, St. Supéry Estate champions wine education and exploration, offering a series of interactive wine experiences designed for all levels of wine enthusiasts. Since 2015, the winery is owned by CHANEL, Inc. and continues its mission of continuous quality improvement, while maintaining Napa Green Winery and Vineyard certifications to protect the environment for generations to come.
Brooke Shenk’s winemaking expertise derives from almost two decades of experience in Napa, Sonoma and New Zealand. Her career began in 1999 at Sonoma State University where her scientific acumen led to her discover winemaking. After earning her B.A in Biology, she worked as a harvest intern in Sonoma, then New Zealand, where she was soon managing a prestigious enology laboratory and studying Sauvignon Blanc. Shenk joined St. Supéry in 2006 and has played an integral role in production ever since. In 2017, she was promoted to Winemaker, cementing her longtime working relationship with Vice President and Winemaker Michael Scholz. The two have worked side by side for more than ten harvests creating a deeply honed blend of vision and execution. Shenk says, “I love the manageable size of St. Supéry. The fact that we are an estate winery means that I can follow the wines from grape to bottle.” With over twenty harvests under her belt and a trusted cellar crew who are also St. Supéry veterans, Shenk and Scholz are poised to further elevate an already storied and award-winning wine portfolio. Living in Napa with her husband and one of St. Supéry’s beloved winery dogs, Shenk enjoys traveling, hiking, camping and of course, food and wine, specifically Sauvignon Blanc.
