Premier Central Coast Winery Owned by Raven Capital Management Positioned for Rapid Growth by Leveraging Private Label and Core Brands, Expanding DTC/Digital Transformation, and Focusing on Innovation
Santa Barbara County (August 2, 2021) – Summerland Wine Brands announced today the appointment of Ryan Nathan as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Paul Griswold who will remain on as Chairman.
Ryan joins Summerland with 25 years of experience accelerating consumer businesses both domestically and internationally. Leveraging deep expertise across Marketing, Strategy, Consumer Products and eCommerce, Ryan brings a wealth of experiences that will help shape the future direction of Summerland Wine Brands. Ryan most recently led Consumer Products and eCommerce for WW International (Weight Watchers) where he oversaw a $2.5B licensed consumer products portfolio.
While at WW, Ryan launched innovative new products like the company’s first wine, formed partnerships to enter new categories including WW Cruises, expanded product distribution with strategic retail relationships and built out the digital transformation of the company’s eCommerce capabilities. Prior to WW, Ryan launched the private jet company JetSuite as its founding Chief Marketing Officer, was a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, and held senior marketing, sales and strategy roles at Caesars Entertainment, ESPN and Ford Motor Company.
After spending the past decade splitting time between the East Coast, Asia, and Latin America, Ryan is looking forward to moving back to his home state of California. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am extremely excited to partner with Raven Capital Management in building Summerland into one of California’s most innovative wineries,” Nathan said. “We are at a critical inflection point for the industry, with changing consumer demographics and taste, and Summerland is very well positioned to capitalize on this evolving market with superior products and service.”
Summerland has built a strong foundation for growth and is positioned to continue as a wine industry leader. “We are very excited to have Ryan join the Summerland team and accelerate our growth to the next level,” stated Griswold. Summerland will continue to invest in innovation through customer created programs such as custom winemaking and core, control, and private label brands.
About Summerland Wine Brands
Recently celebrating its 14-year anniversary, Summerland is Santa Barbara County’s largest winery and state-of-the-art winemaking and bottling facility in California’s thriving Central Coast region. Voted “Best Winery in Santa Barbara County,” Summerland is highly nimble and exceptionally innovative. Look for award-winning Summerland, King Palm Cellars and Cloud Valley Cellars wines at your local retailer or restaurant and visit the company’s tasting room in the quaint seaside town of Summerland, CA.
About Raven Capital Management
Raven Capital Management (“Raven”) is an alternative investment manager with over $1.2B in assets under management. The firm specializes in asset-based investments, with expertise in food and beverage, consumer products, media and entertainment, and real estate. Raven’s investment in Summerland is led by Dimitri Cohen, Principal and Head of Credit.
