Twenty-Five Year Industry Veteran Promoted to Join Progressive Executive Team Fueled by Innovation, Integrity and Equality
GEYSERVILLE, Calif. (March 1, 2019 at 8 a.m. PST) – Today, global lifestyle brand The Family Coppola announces the appointment of Allison Westhoven to President of Sales. Westhoven earned her promotion after sixteen years progressing through The Family Coppola sales team while showcasing her ability to achieve profitability-driven goals. In her new role on the executive team, she will bring her passion for, dedication to, and expertise of the wine industry, while overseeing the domestic and international sales teams for The Family Coppola wines, Great Women Spirits and Mammarella Foods as well as all functions of the sales support teams including customer service, trade marketing and analytics. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, a WSET Level III, and is a Certified Specialist of Wine. As a proven leader who is driven and strategic, she motivates her teams to remain creative, authentic and results-driven while embracing change within the dynamic, evolving wine industry.
“Allison is invaluable to The Family Coppola demonstrating strong relationships with our partners. She started when we had just a six-person sales team and was instrumental in the growth of our entire wine business,” says Corey Beck, The Family Coppola CEO & Chief Winemaker. “I am fortunate to have been able to work with her this entire time and we’ve built a platform of trust that allows us to take strategic risks and remain nimble, which fosters a high-performing culture and focus on innovation.”
Westhoven is now among the twelve percent of female sales executives in the wine industry, according to a study in the December 2018 edition of Wine Business Monthly. However, she joins numerous long-tenured female leaders at The Family Coppola.
“When I started in the wine business 20 years ago, it was a male-dominated industry with very few women in leadership positions,” says Allison Westhoven. “It was a challenge then to be true to yourself and remain on course to be successful. There was a need to adapt while keeping the balance of your personality and perspective. Joining The Family Coppola felt very different even from the beginning and I knew I had a home here.”
In Westhoven’s new role she is part of a diverse, progressive team which includes several female executives, including People Operations Executive Vice President Gina Charbonneau, Marketing Executive Vice President Jennifer Leitman, and Direct to Consumer Executive Vice President Janiene Ullrich. Inclusiveness and women’s achievement are authentic to The Family Coppola, and it has impacted its business and influenced its culture for more than 40 years.
Westhoven succeeds Wendy Putman, who retired from The Family Coppola after 19 years of invaluable leadership. During her tenure, Putman guided the growth and success of Coppola wine sales, in addition to overseeing two businesses in The Family Coppola portfolio: Mammarella Foods, the organic Italian food brand featuring authentic pastas, sauces and spices with no additives or preservatives; and Great Women Spirits, the award-winning collection of small-batch, house-crafted, and classically-styled gin, vodka and brandy, as unique and remarkable as the women they honor.
To learn more about the people and culture behind The Family Coppola check out The Family Coppola on LinkedIn, YouTube and online conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About The Family Coppola
The Family Coppola encompasses all of the things Francis loves most—cinema, wine, food, resorts and adventure—and embraces quality, authenticity and pleasure as a backbone to each of these vibrant business endeavors. Anchored in Sonoma County, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, known for its superior level of quality and integrity, is, as Francis puts it, “a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life: food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life.” Coppola’s second foray into Sonoma County came in 2015 with the launch of Virginia Dare Winery, American wines since 1835, ushering in a new era of elevated quality and vineyard-specific wines. The Family Coppola are lovers not only of wine, but spirits as well. Great Women Spirits—small-batch, house-crafted, classically styled spirits—are a collection of spirits as unique and remarkable as the women they honor. The Family Coppola Hideaways are a collection of unique properties where adventure meets serenity. Drawing upon inspiration from his film career and travels around the globe to the far-reaching corners of the world, Francis created each resort, embracing off the beaten path locations and making each locale an ideal destination for exploring the natural wonders of the area while relaxing in tranquil surroundings. Additionally, The Family Coppola operates a venerable film production company, American Zoetrope; the award-winning literary and art magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story; Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco’s iconic Sentinel Building in North Beach; and Mammarella Foods, an authentic line of premium organic pastas and sauces. Earn and redeem points through Coppola Rewards membership at CoppolaRewards.com or visit www.TheFamilyCoppola.com to learn more.
