Atlanta, Georgia AND Grand Prairie, Texas, Jan. 31, 2022 – Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), the national distributor and broker of premium beverage alcohol, non-alcoholic and CBD products, announced it has appointed Nicholas Mehall as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective February 1. Mehall succeeds Tom Cole, who will serve as a senior advisor to the Board of Directors moving forward. This appointment is a result of RNDC’s thoughtful succession planning process working in partnership with a premier advisory firm. It underscores the company’s long-term commitment to leading the transformation of the beverage alcohol industry.
Mehall served as RNDC’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since 2017 and has successfully strengthened the company’s financial position, significantly improved RNDC’s investment in technology and led the recent expansion into new markets. Prior to joining RNDC, Nick held a number of leadership roles at Diageo. As SVP of Finance for Diageo’s U.S. and Canada Spirits business, he was responsible for the financial delivery for Diageo’s largest global market, with an emphasis on furthering the company’s core strategic initiatives including resource allocation, pricing and investments in trade and brand marketing across the portfolio. Nick, who earned his CPA in 2005, spent nearly 10 years at KPMG, LLP in Cleveland, London and metro New York City. He held a number of leadership roles in both the U.S. and U.K. where he serviced clients across a broad industry base including retail, distribution, manufacturing and technology. Nick resides in Atlanta with his wife, Kristen, and their four children.
“I’m thrilled to be stepping into the CEO position at RNDC, where I have had the pleasure of being part of the management team for the past five years. Since 2017, we’ve experienced tremendous growth that has resulted in an expanded geographic footprint, larger market share and deeper supplier relationships. I look forward to working with Bob Hendrickson, our COO and the best commercial leader in the industry, our talented management team and the Board to deliver the strategic plan for RNDC, leveraging the solid foundation we’ve built. I see great potential for how we can strengthen our relationships with suppliers and other key partners, transform as an organization and lead our industry,” said Mehall.
“It’s been an honor working with our RNDC Board, associates and suppliers and overseeing our market expansion,” said Cole. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished and am confident RNDC has a bright future ahead under Nick’s capable leadership.”
“Nick is a transformative leader with a fresh perspective of the industry, capable of building a strategic plan and modernizing infrastructure and processes while achieving high performance results. We are excited to welcome him as RNDC’s CEO,” said Marc Sachs, RNDC board member. “With the passion, energy and competitiveness that he will bring to this role, Nick will continue to bolster our culture of integrity and exceptional execution, leading us in achieving our mission of being the distributor of choice for the industry.”
Jay Davis, RNDC board member, added, “Nick operates with the highest integrity, personifying our core values of family and service. These outstanding qualities make him the perfect fit to lead our great company now and for many years into the future.”
Cole is a seasoned executive, spending over 40 years at multiple industry-leading companies that ultimately became part of RNDC, including Magnolia Marketing and Republic Beverage. He served as CEO of RNDC since 2010 and under his leadership, the company became the nation’s fastest growing distributor of wines and spirits with sales of approximately $12 billion.
“We are grateful for Tom’s service to our organization. Among his many achievements, he drove RNDC’s expansion, which now represents 38 markets across the United States, and consolidated independent businesses to form a national distributor powerhouse. We look forward to engaging with him in his new role,” said John Carlos, RNDC board member.
The current management team remains in place and will report to Mehall.
About Republic National Distributing Company
As a top beverage alcohol distributor in the nation, RNDC’s national reach helps suppliers by building strategic relationships with on- and off-premise customers to elevate their brands and reach their target consumers. RNDC currently operates in the District of Columbia and 37 states across the United States, with the expected addition of the New York market in 2022. To learn more, visit www.rndc-usa.com or contact Reace Smith, Vice President, Corporate Communications at reace.smith@rndc-usa.com.
