Ron received his MBA in Finance and his B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. Before moving to Napa in 2005, Ron was CEO/COO of several national retailer chains for 14 years, including 4 years as CEO of the Morrell Wine Group. His 20-year career in the DTC channel of the wine industry includes COO/President positions with New Vine Logistics (Wine Direct), eWinery Solutions (VinSuite), Chatterbox Wine Marketing, and VinoVisit. For the past 8 years, he’s also been on the faculty of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, where he teaches a course in Direct to Consumer Marketing and eCommerce. During this time, he’s consulted with wineries throughout the West Coast and Europe on developing custom strategies for DTC success. Ron’s approach to work and play is simple. “Running an entrepreneurial wine business is a 24/7 mental challenge. But I’m still able to do that while pursuing my love for traveling to interesting places with great food & wine, art, history, and culture. Some call it work, I call it living.”

Ryan draws on 13 years in wine industry and destination tourism marketing, including 6 years as Director of Business Development at VinoVisit.com and Chatterbox Wine Marketing Services. Before venturing into marketing, Ryan received his Sommelier Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers and worked at some of Napa’s finest dining establishments, like Auberge du Soleil, La Toque, and Redd.