20 Year Sales & Marketing Professional - Wine & Spirit Beverages

1. Stephen T. Cruty
1532 Forest Hill Road
Apalachin NY 13732
StephenCruty@aol.com Cell: (607) 624-4915
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Independent Spirit Beverage Consultant October 2015 –
Present
USA
Working with established (domestic and international), up-and-coming and craft spirit beverage
companies and distilleries to conduct industry market research, develop brand strategy and launch, new
product development, branding, packaging, marketing plans, pricing, route-to-market strategy,
establishment of tasting room and heritage facilities. Cross-category experience across white and brown
spirits including American, Canadian, Scotch, Irish, Japanese and Flavored Whisk(e)y, Cognac, Tequila,
Gin, Vodka, Rum, Liqueurs and other.
National Sales Director July 2007 – October
2015
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards – Hector, NY
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards is located in the Finger Lakes wine district of New York State. It’s leading brand,
Red Cat, was considered one of the best-selling NY wine brands available.
Responsible for the management and growth of Hazlitt’s US wholesale business for wine and hard cider.
• Managed and expanded network of national (open/control states) and international distributors
and brokers. Increased geographic footprint from three to nineteen states in US and Caribbean.
• Maintained cooperative working relationships with national and local distributor network
including Southern Wine & Spirits, Republic National Distributing Co., Glazers, Tryon, ABC
Commissions and more.
• Forecasted and executed volume forecasts across twenty brands and 50 skus.
• Prepared and executed locally relevant trade and consumer (on and off-premise) marketing plans.
• Drove new product development, line extensions, cocktail creation and occasion for brand use.
• During tenure, individually increased annual wine volume from 110,000 to 234,000 physical
cases. Increased sales value from $4.6M to $10M annually.
Brand Manager – Scotch Whisky
2005 - 2007
Remy Cointreau USA – New York, NY
Remy Cointreau represents the world’s leading premium wines & spirit brands including Remy Martin
Cognac, Cointreau, The Macallan & Piper-Heidsieck Champagne.
Responsible for national brand management of Highland Park, The Macallan, Tamdhu Single Malt
Whisky and Jon, Mark & Robbo’s Easy Drinking Whisky (JMR). Responsible for distribution,
forecasting, new product development, sales oversight, pricing, advertising, marketing, PR and profit
deliverance.
• Delivered 38% nation-wide growth for Highland Park from Aug 2005 to Mar 2006 with an
increase of $1.1 million net sales value.
• Manage Highland Park line extension, new product and pack launches.

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• Directed Highland Park Single Cask program in US. Procured and sold private cask bottlings to
high-end retail and on-premise venues. Sales value ranged from $50,000 to $150,000 per cask.
Worked with distilleries in Scotland to hand-select individual casks to meet customer needs.
Implemented personalized PR and marketing program per account in support of each cask
release. Focus areas include NYC, California, Texas, Colorado, Miami, Chicago and Control
State ABC’s.
• Oversee and implement launch of JMR Scotch Malt Whisky, national distribution rollout,
strategy development, advertising and promotion plans.
• Represent brands at all national PR events and managed partnerships with Food and Wine
Magazine, Forbes, The Food Network, Aspen, South Beach, NYC Food & Wine and WhiskyFests.
Assoc. Product Manager
2005
Tyson Deli – Tyson Foods Inc., Fayetteville, Arkansas
Tyson is the world leader in producing/marketing beef, pork, & chicken with annual sales of $24 billion.
Responsible for co-managing Tyson Deli portfolio, including P&L, marketing mix, new product
development, creative, consumer insight, strategic planning and production oversight.
Brand Manager 1998 – 2002
The Seagram Spirit & Wine Group – (based in Moscow, Russia report to UK, French & US headquarters)
Seagram was a global leader in the alcohol beverage industry representing Martell Cognac, Captain
Morgan Rum, Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky and Absolut Vodka. Their five billion dollar annual business
extended to 190 countries around the world.
• Lead premium brand development process including concept creation, brand differentiation &
identity, pack development, strategy, marketing mix and launch.
• Created and executed innovative, integrated and measurable 360-degree marketing mixes leading
to increased market share, brand relevance/resonance among existing and emerging audiences.
• Championed new product development process from concept to consumer (forecasting consumer
needs & tastes, concept, financial viability, product development, launch & line extension).
• Led market research and consumer insight activity (Nielsen, brand health tracking, qualitative,
lifestyle studies, consumer segmentation, category and competitor analysis, price elasticity).
• Proven multicultural experience in developed and developing markets (US -UK - France -
Russia).
• Oversaw national network of foreign distributors across 11 time zones in native Russian.
• Other skills: P&L management, advertising (television, cinema, radio, print, outdoor, internet),
consumer promotion, loyalty and retention marketing, PR, event management and sponsorship.
Career Highlights:
• Grew Olmeca Tequila to No. 1 tequila over Sauza & Cuervo. Market share increased from 35%
to 60% off-trade and 80% on-trade.
• Doubled Martell Cognac market share from 9% to 18% becoming a strong No. 2 cognac in
Russia after Hennessy - one-year sales volume increase of 34% - profit growth of 60%.

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• Doubled distribution of Barton & Guestier Wines from 2000-2001 through effective customer
and distribution development. B&G became market share leader in French Wine category.
• Launched Silver Age, a locally produced sparkling wine based on Mumm Champagne
technology from concept to store shelf. Tripled sales within three years with five line extensions.
Marketing Manager 1996 – 1998
The Russian Market Research Company/Strategic Marketing – Moscow, Russia
Consult, design and implement market research for local and multinational corporations operating in the
Russian market. Business feasibility, product/service adaptation, product testing, consumer tracking, etc.
Recommend and implement effective marketing strategy. Clients from CPG, alcoholic beverages,
tobacco, banking/investment and oil/gas including Nestle, Coca Cola, Canon, P&G, GM, Unilever and
Seagram.
Regional Director/Project Manager 1993 – 1996
America’s Development Foundation - Alexandria, Virginia
EDUCATION
Certification University of California at Davis – Executive Wine Program
2007
MA American University - Washington DC - International Relations
1993
BA State University of New York at Albany – Slavic Studies
1991
LANGUAGES
Native English & Fluent Russian
APPROACH TO BRAND BUILDING
• Understand the brand – its values, its mission and its reason for being – integrate that into
everything. You must know your brand before you can grow your brand.
• A brand is not just a physical thing – it is emotional. It conveys a feeling and a desire amongst
its consumers. It must reflect an understanding of consumer psychology.
• Understand brand dilution and brand pollution. Know your brand’s relevance and where to draw
the line.
• Brand relevance and brand resonance among your consumers are more important than brand
awareness.
• Brand development is local. Tailor the needs of your distributor and consumer base in a locally
relevant way.