Executive Management

Alex Ryan has served as our President since 2005, our Chief Executive Officer since 2011 and our Chairman of the board of directors since 2012. Mr. Ryan previously served as our General Manager and Chief Operating Officer beginning in 2000. Mr. Ryan moved to St. Helena in 1976 and began working at Duckhorn part-time during high school and joined the Company full-time after earning his degree in viticulture from California State University at Fresno in 1988. Mr. Ryan was the Vineyard Manager throughout the early 1990s, and later became the Vice President of Vineyard and Winery Operations. In the years since he became President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ryan successfully launched the Migration brand, featuring the first Chardonnay in the Company’s three-decade history, rolled out an expanded Decoy line, established Canvasback in Washington State and spearheaded the acquisitions of Calera Wine Company in 2017 and Kosta Browne in 2018. Mr. Ryan was honored as the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards Wine Executive of the Year in 2018. We believe Mr. Ryan’s extensive knowledge of the wine industry and his experience as a member of our management team qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Lori Beaudoin has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since June 2009, and leads the accounting, financial reporting, financial planning and analysis and IT departments. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Beaudoin served as Chief Financial Officer of the personal care segment of Hain Celestial Group, Inc. Prior to that role, Ms. Beaudoin served as Chief Financial Officer of Avalon Natural Products, Inc., a sponsor-backed consumer goods company. Ms. Beaudoin began her career in public accounting and has more than two decades of experience guiding sponsor-backed, growth-oriented consumer products companies. Ms. Beaudoin is a Certified Public Accountant and received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Idaho.

Sean Sullivan has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Legal Officer since February 2019, after having previously advised the Company and our board of directors as outside counsel from 2007 to 2016. From 2012 to 2019, Mr. Sullivan was an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, advising consumer products, life sciences and technology companies on initial public offerings and other on securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions and public company SEC filings. Prior to that, Mr. Sullivan worked as an investment banker in Credit Suisse Group AG’s technology, media and telecom group, after having earlier worked as an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Mr. Sullivan received a JD from Columbia Law School and Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and politics from St. Mary’s College of California.

Pete Przybylinski has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Sales Officer since July of 2010. Mr. Przybylinski leads our wholesale sales team and focuses his efforts on team leadership, distributor management and executive-level strategy development. Prior to his current role, he held a number of sales roles of increasing responsibility in the organization since joining Duckhorn in 1995. Mr. Przybylinski holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.

Zach Rasmuson has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer since 2012, after serving as the winemaker and general manager for Goldeneye since joining the Company in 2003. Previously, Mr. Rasmuson worked for wineries such as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Robert Sinskey Vineyards and Husch Vineyards. Mr. Rasmuson received his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College.

As Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and DTC Officer since 2022, Ms. Bartscherer leads our marketing and DTC teams and focuses her efforts on team and portfolio development, consumer marketing, trade marketing and guest experiences. She brings more than two decades of luxury wine industry experience to The Duckhorn Portfolio, having previously held key leadership positions in business development, winery operations, brand management, marketing, and international marketing and sales at such companies as Jackson Family Wines, Blue Lifestyle, where she worked alongside James Beard Award-winning author Anthony Dias Blue, Bon Appetit Magazine, and Beckmen Vineyards. Ms. Bartscherer holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and Italian from the University of London.