December 4th – Purcell joined the company as CFO in May 2020 and was later named President in April 2022. She has been instrumental in driving Avaline’s growth, leading the brand to break into the top 150 wine brands across all price points, and top 25 in ultra-premium brands. Avaline is expected to close out 2023 over 65% compared to last year.
“It’s been an honor to lead this company as President over the last year and a half and I’m thrilled to take on the expanded responsibility of CEO,” says Purcell. “The key to our success is a strong focus on our consumer: engaging them with digital content, delivering relevant retail programming, and adding of their favorite varietals. Through this we’ve been able to drive rapid yet smart growth in our retail and digital business. In 2024 we’ll complement our strategy with a broader focus on on-premise and sponsorships; we have so many customers that are looking for Avaline already when they’re out at restaurants, hotels and events – this is a huge opportunity for us and our partners to capitalize on.”
“Her strategic insights, financial acumen, and unwavering dedication have been instrumental in steering Avaline on a path of sustainable growth and expansion,” says Avaline Co-Founder Katherine Power. “Jennifer’s deep understanding of our mission and extensive experience within the company make her the ideal candidate to leave Avaline into its next phase of innovation, success, and market prominence.”
Before joining Avaline, Jennifer Purcell was CFO of Lumi, a high growth packaging sourcing and management platform serving DTC companies, and VP, Finance & Corporate Strategy at Thrive Market for nearly four years as it grew from $25MM to over $200MM in revenue. Jen also spent time at The Bouqs Company, a DTC floral retailer, and co-founded a startup that focused on educational software used by speech language pathology practitioners and patients. Prior to joining the startup world, Jen spent the early part of her career in transactional finance, including distressed debt and investment banking.
