How to Hire a CEO in Wine, Beer & Spirits: What Boards and Investors Should Look For

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I wrote this guide for boards and investors on how to hire a CEO in Wine, Beer & Spirits. The sector is an industry navigating shifting consumer preferences, premiumization, and direct-to-consumer disruption, where leadership must build brands and manage complex three-tier and production economics, and the CEO profile that succeeds in it is specific: a leader who can build brands and navigate premiumization and category shifts while managing three-tier distribution and production economics, increasingly fluent in the direct-to-consumer and digital channels reshaping the market.

The Wine, Beer & Spirits CEO Mandate in 2026

Before assessing candidates, boards should agree what the next three to five years demand. In Wine, Beer & Spirits, that context is shaped by three forces: Shifting consumer preferences, premiumization, moderation, and category rotation, are reshaping brand and portfolio strategy. Direct-to-consumer and e-commerce, where regulation allows, are creating new commercial and digital demands. Production, supply-chain, and distribution complexity across the three-tier system demand sophisticated operational leadership. The right CEO is defined by which of these the company must navigate most urgently.

What to Look For in a Wine, Beer & Spirits CEO

The profile that succeeds is a leader who can build brands and navigate premiumization and category shifts while managing three-tier distribution and production economics, increasingly fluent in the direct-to-consumer and digital channels reshaping the market. Concretely, boards should probe for beverage-alcohol brand-building and portfolio strategy; three-tier distribution and route-to-market command; production, supply-chain, and quality leadership; direct-to-consumer and digital commercial fluency.

Where Wine, Beer & Spirits CEOs Come From

The strongest candidates are drawn from beverage-alcohol producers and brand houses (brand and production depth); consumer-packaged-goods companies (brand and commercial leadership); distribution and hospitality (channel expertise); direct-to-consumer and e-commerce (digital leadership). Boards should map all of these pools rather than defaulting to obvious internal or direct-competitor candidates.

The Board’s Role in the Search

A CEO search is the board’s most consequential act. The failure patterns are consistent: mandate ambiguity that surfaces at finalist stage, over-weighting charisma over the specific capabilities the sector demands, rushing or drifting the process, and neglecting rigorous referencing under time pressure. Boards that align on the mandate in writing, run a structured assessment, and reference beyond the candidate-supplied list consistently outperform.

Compensation and Closing the Wine, Beer & Spirits CEO

Compensation emphasizes cash with brand-performance and growth incentives; brand-building and digital-commercial leadership command premiums, and private-equity, family-ownership, and global brand-house structures produce varied packages. The CEO package must reflect the sector’s ownership structure and the profile’s scarcity, and the close depends as much on the mandate’s credibility as on the number. Our Wine, Beer & Spirits executive compensation report details the benchmarks.

Related Wine, Beer & Spirits Resources

See also Wine, Beer & Spirits executive search guide, Wine, Beer & Spirits top 10 in-demand roles, Wine, Beer & Spirits executive compensation report.

Tanya Gallardo

Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy

Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.

With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.

Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.

Connect with Tanya to discuss your executive search needs.