Exclusive access to the Women Leading Rum platform
DISCOVER THE PROGRAM
Women Leading Rum is an exclusive platform, part of TheRumLab, to recognize women involved in the rum industry and establish connections between them, regardless of their position in the industry.
This initiative arises as an educational and professional exchange where women will be able to support each other through executive training, workshops and mentoring to enhance the value that each of them brings to the world of rum.
MEET OUR PRESTIGIOUS MEMBERS
Visit our MEMBERS section for their professional’s profiles
Grazia Di Franco
South East Asia Brand Ambassador for Maison FerrandWith a vibrant mix of Swedish and Sicilian heritage, Grazia Di Franco has left a significant mark on the global bar scene, working in cities such as Milan, Miami, Amsterdam, and Sydney. Her journey began in 2009, when she won her first cocktail competition for Pernod Ricard. In 2016, she claimed the prestigious title of Strega Liquor Modern Mixing Champion, later becoming Head Bartender for Jimmy Bertazzoli’s new venture, Aguardiente – Casa Creole.
Grazia has also been a key team member at PS40 Bar in Sydney, and later, she was appointed Creative Director at Bartolo Wine Room, where she continued to showcase her talent and vision.
From 2018, Grazia spent five years as Global Brand Ambassador for Mancino Vermouth and Rinomato Aperitivo, traveling the world to promote aperitivo culture.
Since 2023, she has taken on the role of South East Asia Brand Ambassador for Maison Ferrand. Based in Singapore, she now activates the region with her distinctive flair, focusing on showcasing the diversity of the terroirs of Planteray (formerly Plantation Rum).
Grazia’s passion for the craft and her deep knowledge of the Maison Ferrand portfolio continue to elevate the brand’s presence across the region, infusing her creative energy and enhancing its visibility in every market.
Magdelis Marcano
Asociación Iberoamericana de Ronmelier, Legal AdvisorRum for me is a beverage that represents our gentilicio as Caribbeans. It is a liquid passion that gives flavor and joy to our lives, and our special events. It is simply that product that gives us identity from its processing to its delicious enjoyment.
From my point of view, I believe that as Ibero-Americans we have the privilege of producing the best rums in the world, which captivate the most demanding palates.
As a Ronmelier graduate from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in its First Edition, I have contributed to the training of colleagues, specifically in the legal area, carrying out a comparative analysis of the different legislations that govern everything related to the production, import, and export of alcohols and spirits. I have also contributed in the development of harmonies of different distillates with chocolate, coffee, and tea, as well as with typical Venezuelan and Latin American food, I also contribute through two digital magazines: “Pimienta & el Sibarita” (Colombia) and Placeres Magazine (Mexico) my gastronomic experiences of harmonies between food, beverages and tobacco.
My contribution to the industry is framed in knowledge, research, innovation, and as Legal Advisor of the Asociación Iberoamericana de Ronmelier.
Cristina Medina García de Polavieja
Communication Department at Williams & HumbertI have a degree in Information Sciences, Journalism, from the University of Navarre, a diploma in Business Administration and in Economics and European Union Law from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing from the Cadiz Chamber of Commerce. For 20 years I have worked in the hospitality sector as head of food and beverages and groups and as Communication Manager for the Confederation of Businessmen of the province of Cadiz. In 2014 I joined the Williams & Humbert winery as Communications Manager. The winery is owned by the Medina family, and today it is managed by members of the second generation, to which I belong.
Karen McConnell
Rum Captain at Rumba & Inside PassageKaren McConnell has been coming to Rumba for years before she started working there, bellying up to the bar drinking and learning about r(h)um. Now as Rumba and Inside Passage’s Rum Captain she in in charge of the r(h)um education program at Rumba, preaching the rum gospel to both staff and patrons alike. A few trips to the Caribbean and more than a few distilleries have cemented her love for the spirit: its breadth, history, and the culture behind it.
Chloe Potter
Co-Founder of Libations RumI am Chloe Potter, Co-Founder of Libations Rum, a pioneering Distillery and Blending House in Leeds, Yorkshire. With a background in the spirits industry, I decided to leverage my experience and passion for rum to create something truly unique. At Libations Rum, we are proud to have the UK’s first “Warm Room,” where we tropically age our rums, a real industry first. Our approach prioritizes carbon avoidance over carbon offsetting, reflecting our commitment to sustainability.
Mirella Pinto
Director of Operations of Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala.She is Director of Operations of Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, specifically in the operation of Distillery, Aging Centers and Bottling Plants.
She has three decades of experience in the world of rum, in logistics and industrial chemical processes. Her passion is to transform ideas into tangible and sustainable projects and she plans her legacy to train the next generation of leaders in the industry.
She is a chemical engineer with a master’s degree in beverages, as well as an inveterate reader, passionate about nature, and solving riddles in mathematical and word games. She enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures, as well as sharing special moments with her three daughters, three grandchildren and friends.
Patricia Porras
Commercial Director of Imported Products – Varela Hermanos.I have been in the world of wines and spirits for more than 17 years. I work at Varela Hermanos, I have been in the company for 14 years, and I am currently the Commercial Director of Imported Products at Varela Hermanos. I graduated as a sommelier from the Argentine Sommelier School in 2015.
In 2018 I graduated, Advanced in Wine, Level 3 from WSET. I am passionate about the world of wines and spirits.
Katy Castro Guzmán
National Brand Ambassador - Brugal MexicoKaty Castro has a degree in Communication with a specialty in Journalism, graduated from the Universidad Anáhuac México Norte. She has 8 years of work experience in areas such as media, public relations, event production, public affairs and marketing. She has two diplomas: Art History from the Anáhuac University and Digital Transformation for Media Companies from the ISDI Digital Business & Tech School.
She worked for Forbes Mexico magazine as journalist in the lifestyle section, later she was PR Manager for transnational accounts such as Oris, Airbnb, Dyson and Edrington. She returned to the world of journalism as Web Editor of the magazine Robb Report México.
Since 2021, Katy joined Edrington Mexico as the first female National Ambassador of Ron Brugal. Starting in February 2024, Brugal in Mexico took a lot of relevance with the only intention of sharing the very best of Brugal with expressions such as 1888 and other brand innovations, this has made Katy focus on bringing Brugal to be number one in Mexico and the world.
Katy is passionate about art, reading, psychology and she is a music lover. She really enjoys traveling and food. The most important things to her are her family and her dogs. She is also loyal to dog care and rescue them and his dream is to have a shelter for dogs.
Chiara Lincker
Brand Ambassador for Planteray & Canerock RumAs a Brand Ambassador for Maison Ferrand, Chiara is involved in the commercial development and promotion of the Planteray Rum and Canerock Rum brands in Spain. She provides support in launching new products, coordinating professional events, and training commercial teams and clients.
Previously, Chiara worked at Pernod Ricard for a couple of years, specializing in brand experience development for brands such as Martell, Chivas, Perrier-Jouët, and Jameson. Pernod Ricard complemented her field experience previously gained at Red Bull, where she was also a Brand Ambassador, allowing her to develop and execute tailored sales and marketing plans to engage their target audience through product tasting and education, brand activations and sales support.
Her academic experience in International Marketing, provided her with a solid foundation to advance professionally in an global context, particularly with her proficiency in three languages at a professional level. Her diverse background in spirits, coupled with her skills in business development and project management, now enable her to represent these two fine rum brands in the Spanish market.
Isabella Rosal
CEO of 7th Sky Ventures and Founder of Tampa Bay Rum SocietyIsabella was born and raised in a sugarcane estate in Northern Luzon in the Philippines. She has been an entrepreneur since the age of 10, when she was selling sweets to her classmates off the back of her skateboard.
At 32, Isabella Rosal is the youngest female in the USA to achieve the Certified Rummelier® status and one of only 33 in the USA. A short while after, she has achieved the Master Rummelier® status, the highest professional designation in the rum industry.
Her perspective and passion in the rum and distillery industry came in naturally with her upbringing. Isabella is the founder of Tampa Bay Rum Society — a professional community dedicated to sharing and advancing knowledge in the rum industry. She is also the CEO and Founder of 7th Sky Ventures, a licensed importer and exporter of spirits in Florida, with a mission of elevating the rum industry not just in Tampa, but globally.
A rum industry champion, Isabella actively participates in events hosted at the Tampa Bay community and other professional groups.
María Mercedes Sánchez
DO MANAGER RON DE GUATEMALAMercedes Sanchez has a degree in Marketing from Rafael Landivar University and a master’s degree in Reengineering and Quality Assurance from Galileo University, where she also obtained her graduate degree in Business Engineering. Both, master and graduate degrees, were Cum Laude. Cooperación Española certified her in Technical Designation of Origin and in 2022, she was certified in Strategic Marketing. In 2023 she obtained a certification in Sustainability at INCAE.
For 12 years, she worked for Guatemala to obtain its first Protected Designation of Origin with Café de Antigua, thanks to which she gained the experience and knowledge necessary to serve as Manager of Protected Designation of Origin at Guatemalan Spirits for the renowned brands of Botran Rum and Zacapa Rum since 2012. She is in charge of leading their proper implementation, structuring and coordinating marketing, operational and legal activities both nationally and internationally.
She is also part of the leadership team of the Corporate Affairs Management area at Guatemalan Spirits, where she strategically analyzes the global business environment, evaluates long-term viability and anticipates risks in a constantly changing world. In this way, Guatemalan Spirits eliminates business boundaries, as well as reputational and regulatory barriers.
Yasmin Chapeton
MASTER BLENDER AT RON BOTRANAs a professional with a degree in food engineering, I have had the opportunity to play an important role in the rum industry in Guatemala, where for more than 11 years I have been able to combine my technical knowledge with the wonderful experience of sensory evaluation. My experience in rum began in the area of quality control and management systems. Today I am in charge of the production of Botran Añejo Rums, as well as new product developments, for which passion and dedication become essential ingredients in my work. As a professional woman, I am proud to be part of the team of Ron Botran’s Maestras Roneras, with whom we seek to make rum a connection to experience unique aromas and flavors around the world.
Magda López
MASTER BLENDER AT BOTRANI am a Guatemalan Chemical Engineer, with more than 30 years of experience in the rum industry. I started in the quality department of one of the bottling companies of Licores de Guatemala, and later I participated in the implementation of the Research and Development department for the creation of new products, with the time I fell in love with the aging process, and I was passionate about discovering the different characteristics that are obtained when rum and wood interact, over the years, becoming aromas and flavors, which give rise to an excellent rum. Currently, I lead the new generation of master rum makers for Casa Botran, it is with them with whom I enjoy my long experience in aging and share my experience to make the rums of the Botran Family, a tradition and an unforgettable experience for the most demanding tastes around the world.
Noelia Rey
Flor de Caña | Brand Ambassador
My name is Noelia Rey and I am a bartender. I am passionate about my work, and I consider my profession to be more than just a simple occupation: it is a vocation that drives me to keep growing and learning constantly.
I have dedicated myself to training and perfecting my skills, and currently I continue to do so to stay up to date with the latest trends and techniques in the world of mixology. I find my true place in the world of spirits, where I can unleash all my talent and creativity.
My entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in my excellent customer service. Thanks to my friendly attitude, as well as my expressiveness and communication skills, I stand out in the field of sales. I feel very connected to the bartending community and cocktail venues, where I have cultivated valuable friendships and professional relationships.
Karen Alvarez Seijas
Flor de Caña, Regional Brand Ambassador South AmericaI started in the world of the bar when I was studying at the University. I started as a bar assistant, then I founded my first venture (cocktail catering). I founded my first bar in my hometown (Trujillo, Peru), while I participated in several cocktail competitions where I won several awards and all these experiences allowed me to start traveling, discovering more about the bars, cocktails, and distillates of the world.
I moved to Lima and after being behind the bar for almost 10 years, I became part of the Flor de Caña family as a Brand Ambassador. Working as a team, we positioned the brand as the most consumed imported rum in the country and a brand present in all bars nationwide.
After 4 years, I became a Regional Brand Ambassador for South America and I am working with all the Brand Ambassadors in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia. We want to continue positioning Flor de Caña Rum in the region, sharing with the entire bartender community and bringing them closer to the principles of sustainability, which is one of the main pillars of the brand.
Larissa Arjona
Export Marketing Manager - Varela Hermanos, S.A. (Ron Abuelo)My name is Larissa Arjona, I am Panamanian with Spanish nationality. I have lived in Spain for over 15 years. I am a lawyer with a Master’s Degree in law, and since 2020, I have been in charge of the Marketing of Ron Abuelo brand in international markets.
Besides being a proactive individual in the rum industry, I am dedicated to empowering women in this industry as the President of Women Leading Rum, to carry the voice of all those women who have the desire to work in an environment of equal opportunities, and to do it together as a team makes me very happy.
Isabel Medina
Global Brand Embassador at BotranIsabel Medina, originally from Guatemala, is the global ambassador for Botran Rum, a profession she seems born for. From a young age, Isabel identified her love for her homeland, the importance of family, and her appreciation for the good life. Her dedication made her the natural ambassador for Botran’s Aged Rums.
With over 20 years of experience at Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, Isabel has combined her work with education in Business Administration, Communication Sciences, and a specialization in Food and Beverages. She has led significant projects such as Villa Los Añejos, the Los Añejos VIP Lounge at La Aurora International Airport, and “La Casa del Ron” in Antigua Guatemala.
As a global ambassador, Isabel travels to more than 20 countries and 40 cities, sharing the secrets and charms of Botran’s Aged Rums in every tasting, engaging both experts and novices alike.
Andreina Dunne
GLOBAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT MAISON FERRANDAndreina is a Marketing and communications professional with rich experience in brand building and global marketing strategy in the spirits industry.
In 2024, she joined Maison Ferrand to contribute to the international development of the company’s premium+ portfolio, including the iconic rum brand Planteray (formerly Plantation Rum). She previously worked for Bayou Rum (Stoli Group), Diplomático Rum, Havana Club International (Pernod Ricard) and Whiskies du Monde.
Her multicultural background and international experience are what she considers her greatest assets. They have helped her to easily adapt to new environments, to connect with people from other cultures, and to open her horizons.
Andreina was born and raised in Venezuela, in a region surrounded by sugar cane fields. She then moved to France to study International Business at Bordeaux Montesquieu University; this time surrounded by some of the most prestigious vineyards in the world. It was only natural for her to start her career and evolve in the wine & spirits industry. Since then she has worked for almost every spirits category, from tequila, to vodka, whisky and gin, but she admits that rum is where the heart is!
Maria Antonella Lupo
Brand Manager | Ron AbueloVenezuelan, resident in Spain since 2009, I started my career in the spirits business in 2006 as a member of Santa Teresa’s Trade Marketing team in Venezuela. After a year, I had the opportunity to participate in a fantastic project: taking on the role of New Markets Manager and expanding the presence of Ron Santa Teresa in Southern Europe.
In 2010, I joined the Campari Spain team, where, as Trade Marketing Manager, we had the privilege of presenting Appleton Rum to bartenders and mixologists. Finally, in 2016, I joined Zamora Company Spain, where I was Brand Manager of Matusalem for two years. Now, as Senior Brand Manager, the company has allowed me to expand the reach of Ron Abuelo and share its unique story in Spain and Portugal.
Farrah Aviles
Director of Sales and Marketing | Koloa Rum CompanyAs Director of Sales and Marketing, Farrah is responsible for developing and implementing Kōloa Rum Company’s strategic sales and marketing plans to drive business growth and increase market share. This leadership role requires a combination of marketing expertise, sales acumen, in-depth knowledge of products, and a deep understanding of customer needs.
Before joining Koloa Rum Company in 2016, Farrah worked as an Event Specialist for Team Enterprises, where she was involved in field marketing programs for Bacardi and Molson Coors. Farrah has more than a decade of experience in sales and marketing in the beverage alcohol industry, having worked with well-known brands like Josh Cellars, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, and Diageo. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, you can say rum is in Farrah’s blood and has always been her go-to spirit. Hawaii has become a second home to her, and she has embraced the Aloha Spirit with Koloa Rum.
Caroline Prato Zenny
Brand Owner of Kaki RumCaroline is a fearless, hard-working, resilient, disciplined, and self-motivated entrepreneurial woman.
“Rum represents a rich history, diverse culture, and versatility in flavors for me. I fell in love with rum
when I first worked as a young girl in the countryside of Leogane in Haiti, where my father had his
rhum/ Clairin distillery.
The rum industry has given me the amazing opportunity to explore different cultures, meet and
connect with like-minded individuals, and teaches me daily about the world of spirits and mixology.”
“
Andrea Junco
Marketing Manager Ron Matusalem at OTC GroupVenezuelan born in Caracas, I’ve called Madrid home since 2017. Holding a degree in Business Economics from the Universidad Metropolitana and a Master’s in Marketing and Management from ESIC Business School, my career spans diverse industries—tourism, logistics, and mass consumption—highlighting a deep passion for the spirits sector. My journey into spirits began in 2019 as a Junior Brand Manager for Tequila Jose Cuervo, Ron Matusalem, and Sangria Lolea at Zamora Company, revealing my calling for wine and spirits. In 2021, I assumed the role of Global Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Ron Matusalem, a globally recognized premium rum brand, supporting 45 countries in spreading its tradition, innovation, and luxury. After a two-year hiatus working as a Key Account Manager in the Horeca channel for a food company, I returned to my true passion. Currently serving as the Marketing Manager for Ron Matusalem in Spain at OTC Group, with 5 years in the industry, I’ve contributed to the brand’s success from three different perspectives. There’s a special connection to Ron Matusalem, a product and brand that captivates 150 years of history, and I take pride in being part of its legacy in a new chapter.
Magdalena Reszke
Colours of Rum, Brand AmbassadorMagdalena Reszke, brand ambassador, has established herself as a true rum lover and a dedicated rum geek, immersing herself in its rich history, production processes, and diverse flavor profiles. “Rum means courage, passion, respect, and fun. I can still remember the taste of the first whisky I fell in love with. I caught myself figuring out what was more surprising to me, that I smelled white pepper or that I knew that the aroma was white pepper. It’s been more than ten years now since I’ve been fortunate enough to try some old and rare spirits. But this was rum that has taken me by surprise. Could there be something better than whisky? And my journey has become even more complex, when, together with The Colours of Rum, we select casks from all Caribbean countries to find the most engaging tastes and aromas”
Gemma Wakeham
CMO & Director, Two Drifters Distillery LtdI am Gemma, co-founder and CMO of Two Drifters Distillery. We make rum in the UK, with an emphasis on quality and sustainability. My husband and I have always adored rum; rum tasting was our first date, St.Lucia was our honeymoon and we celebrate every happy event with a rum cocktail. It is our ambition to own a rum distillery, I firmly believe the planet shouldn’t suffer because of our life choices; our rum, our distillery, our carbon emissions- so we make sure we clean up our waste and maintain a carbon negative footprint, as well as delicious, carefully crafted rums.
Alexandra Rosini
Flor de Caña, Brand AmbassadorAlexandra graduated in 2016 from Skema Business School (ranked in French Top Business School) with a master in digital marketing & project management. She worked in many different fields and companies such as Barclays Bank, L’Oreal Luxe Travel Retail, Bacardi-Martini, Hilti or Total in Marketing or Project Management.
Passionated for many years by the spirits industry after an internship for Patron Tequilas Travel Retail in 2014, she chose in 2020 to specialize herself with a Master of Science in Wine & Spirits management in Paris (her home city), while working for the company Whiskies du Monde as a junior brand manager.
Thanks to her various professional experiences, she developed her skills in brand management, brand strategy and business analysis.
After a trip in Central America, Alex fell in love with the beautiful Nicaragua. Since January 2022, she has started a new journey with the Nicaraguan premium rum brand, Flor de Caña, as a Brand Ambassador for France & Belgium for the Off Trade Market.
She dedicates her work to share her passion for rum with customers through tasting experiences and masterclasses.
Maria Luisa Sánchez
Marketing Coordinator for International Markets at Ron CarúpanoFrom Fashion to Rum
Maria Luisa Sanchez certified Ronmelier was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela birthplace of exceptional quality rum (some say the best rum in the world) she pursued her career in SCAD (The Savannah College of Art and Design) in fashion marketing & management, and her masters in IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. She stepped aside from the fashion industry from working in prestigious fashion houses like Georgio Armani, Carolina Herrera, and Saks Fifth Avenue to pursue a career in the spirits Industry. She fell in love with the 260-year heritage, tradition, and rum mastery behind the Ron Carúpano Brand.
She has represented the brand as a brand ambassador in international trade shows and fairs and has demonstrated her love for the Travel Retail channel by exposing the brand’s visibility. She has also gotten inspiration from Marketing Director Lucia Alliegro and from Rumstar Carmen Lopez de Bastida (the first female master blender of Venezuela) Her femininity, expertise, and elegance have created extraordinary one-of-a-kind profiles.
Today she toasts a product that fulfills her with pride and elevates the name of Venezuela worldwide.
Victoria Georgiou
Head of Marketing at DropWorksMeet Victoria, a dynamic UK-based, experienced brand marketeer and Mum of two girls – determined to show them that they can do and be anything they want to be.
Previously working in beauty, healthcare and children’s brands, Victoria brings a wealth of knowledge and outside of the box thinking into the drinks industry, and she is LOVING IT!
Being part of DropWorks is so much fun, seeing the Distillery being built and the first colourful, energetic bottles coming off the production line has been nothing short of a privilege and the sheer brilliance of the team surrounding Victoria fuels her passion for immersing herself even deeper into the world of Rum.
Adamarie Meléndez
Senior Brand Manager at Destilería SerrallésMeet Adamarie Meléndez, a dynamic force in the world of rum and brand management. With over a decade of marketing experience spanning diverse industries, she discovered her true calling in the liquor industry in 2013 with Diageo. There, she not only excelled in key roles like Commercial Planning and activation, Sales Executive, and Marketing Manager but also cultivated a passion for bringing innovation to the industry.
In October 2019, Adamarie assumed the role of Senior Brand Manager at Destilería Serrallés, where she oversees Puerto Rico’s iconic Don Q Rum. Combining her love for travel with her creative spirit, she infuses fresh perspectives into the brand. Her leadership played a pivotal role in successfully rolling out the redesigned bottle, enhancing the brand’s image, and contributing to the steady growth of market share.
Adamarie’s journey in the rum world isn’t just a career; it’s an adventure marked by exploration, innovation, and a profound passion for preserving Don Q’s rich legacy.
Lindsey Kops Mundy
Papa's Pilar Rum, Vice President Brand GuardianLindsey joined the Hemingway Rum Co. in 2012 as employee #1. With a team of best-in-class creative, sales, and entrepreneurial partners, Lindsey led the launch, development, and deployment of Papa’s Pilar rum portfolio across sales and marketing. In year one, Papa’s Pilar was named ‘Best New Rum of the Year’ and ‘Best In Class’, received double gold medals, and came in 62% over annual projected case sales. Lindsey cut her teeth in every discipline within the business over the years, directing the brand and leading growth from one market launch to International reach. With every new release, Lindsey is honing her creative and spirit branding acumen and creating some of the most awarded package designs. Her newest venture alongside Hemingway Rum Co. is with Hemingway Whiskey Co., where she assisted the team to develop a brand, story, packaging, and launch tools within months for a 2-day sell-out. Lindsey currently resides in Southern California and is on Zoom.
Lindsey has been in the spirits/bev industry for just over 20 years, previously working on the brands within the portfolios of Allied Domecq, Beam Global, and MillerCoors.
:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-kops-mundy/
Jeannette Coto Meza
International Marketing Manager for Ron CentenarioI was born and raised in Costa Rica. I have worked for more than 16 years in marketing and sales. My goal has always been to create unforgettable experiences and I am passionate about creating connections and relationships with the consumer, working alongside valuable products. That’s why I believe in Ron Centenario, because when people taste the products, they immediately fall in love with them. As the International Marketing Manager, my motivation with the brand is to impact more and more people to experience and enjoy the Rum of Costa Rica, a product created for the people.
Margot Janson
Operations Director for Spiribam AmericaMargot, a native of Rhode Island, obtained her MBA in Spain and worked in Boston before joining Spiribam’s HQ back in her beloved “Ocean State.” Margot manages Spiribam’s sales, financials, and IT information reportings through various CRM and BI systems. She mainly delves into industry trends and competitive analyses. Other than data, Margot loves all outdoor activities and of course Spiribam’s delightful rums!
Audrey Vernick
Director and Head of Marketing, SelvaRey RumAudrey Vernick is the Director and Head of Marketing for SelvaRey Rum. Audrey has a passion for entrepreneurship and over 10 years of Marketing experience, leading globally recognized brands across major multinational corporations such as PepsiCo and Diageo, and also developing breakthrough innovations for smaller, incubator brands. At SelvaRey, Audrey is responsible for developing and executing 360 brand strategy to achieve overall business goals while maintaining and expanding the brand’s unique identity and proposition of bringing Tropical Luxury .
Dani Zig
Co-Founder & CEO, Coconut CartelMy name is Danielle Zighelboim, or Dani Zig for short. I was born in Miami but spent most of my childhood in Central America, between El Salvador and Guatemala. My mom and dad migrated to Miami in the 70s from Guatemala and Venezuela, respectively, and we moved back down to Latin America when my brother and I were kids.
I’m extremely grateful that our parents made this move because growing up in Latin America has defined who I am today and what sparked my interest in food and agriculture. I came back to the US to get my degree in Business & Entrepreneurship and started Coconut Cartel while I was still in school. Since then, I’ve made Miami home again, and it is now also the HQ for Coconut Cartel.
Kasturi Benerjee
Founder and Director, Stilldistilling SpiritsFounded in 2020, Stilldistilling Spirits represents undiluted ambition, perseverance, and thoughtfulness. All to continue elevating drinking experiences. This stems from their ‘Drink Well’ philosophy, where quality matters more than quantity. After all, quality spirit begins with the right spirit. Kasturi Banerjee is their Founder and Director.
“What started out as an internship born out of passion led to an alternative career path for me. With a keen interest in wine and spirits, I pursued a bartending course in 2019 to better understand the art of mixology. Through this experience, I understood the history of India’s alco-bev industry. I then began experimenting with blends and conducted research to understand emerging trends and developing consumer preferences in the sector.
This led me to identify a market opportunity in the premium rum category. Post several certifications and training over two years, and a niche segment carved out for me, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey. With a vision to elevate drinking experiences, I set up Stilldistilling Spirits in 2020 to produce premium homegrown rums out of Goa, the first of which was an artisanal rum called Maka Zai. It has two variants–White and Gold and is available across four markets in India. In my downtime, you can find me out and about meeting new people or experimenting with new blends and mixes.”
Liza Cordero
Rum Distillery Master BlenderLiza Cordero is a Chemical Engineer, who graduated from the University of Puerto Rico,
Mayaguez Campus in 1994. Throughout her career, she has worked in different companies,
such as the petrochemical and biotech industry. However, in 2001, she wanted a change,
something different, this is when Serrallés appears in her life.
Since 2001, she has been in charge of the Fermentation and Distillation Operations. In 2012,
she was promoted to Process Director, adding to her previous responsibilities, the Wastewater Operations. And now, as the master blender since the end of 2021, she has the amazing responsibility to create new and innovative products that will captivate the attention of customers. She recognizes that this can only be created by handpicking the rums that will be part of the unique blends when creating new premium rums and which guarantee a complete and mouth-filling experience when tasting.
Garnett Phillip
Owner of The Rogers Garden & The Rum Bar BKGarnett Phillip is a distinguished and forward-thinking entrepreneur, business strategist, and powerhouse. With over fifteen years of extensive business experience she’s proven that hard work and resiliency always pays off in the long run. Phillip is an unstoppable force that has been honored to re-create something so symbolic, speaking for the many immigrants who had hopes of achieving the “American Dream”. One means of spreading her message throughout the community is enlightening people on their history with a strong focus on rum and tradition. Garnett demonstrates a proven track record of success, developing a platform of expression speaking not only to New York City but, especially to the Caribbean people.
Gabriela Ripepi
Chief Marketing Officer of Destilería SerrallésGabriela Ripepi is the Chief Marketing Officer of Destilería Serrallés, Inc. She leads the Don Q brand by identifying industry trends and consumer insights that inform the marketing campaigns and business plans for the continued growth of Puerto Rico’s number one rum in the World. She works directly with key stakeholders, including the General Manager, Board of Directors and Sales Director to guarantee alignment on the plans that help achieve the company’s objectives and business goals. Gabriela has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing and commercial director with premium and global brands in multinational companies. She found her passion for marketing while working in her native Venezuela and has since developed and directed numerous highly successful teams of leaders, equipping them with successful and disruptive marketing strategies.
Daniella Sánchez
Ambassador Bodega Williams & Humbert ( Dos Maderas Rum, Gran Duque D alba, Sherrys)Daniella Sanchez began her career in one of the most inspiring and diverse cities in the world, New York City. She began her career in 2013 as an Assistant Manager for a Wine and Spirits store in Manhattan, NY.
It was there in that Park Avenue store where her journey began. For the next three years, she studied grapes, countries, their regions, soils, and spirits while also learning through real-life experiences in the industry.
Mrs. Sanchez then received the opportunity to coordinate the opening of a Wine and Liquor store, where she knew she would teach others about the basics of Wine, Liquor, and the industry’s economics. Soon after, she entered the business of the Distribution of Liquor where she represented a company called Domaine Select Wine and Spirits for the few years. They were known for carrying Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic wines from some of the most prestigious wineries in the Sommelier world. She took that time to learn how to create and facilitate wine and cocktail menus, how to pair wine and food together and coordinate pairings for some of the top restaurants in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Currently, Mrs. Sanchez is the Ambassador for the iconic winery Williams & Humbert Bodega in Jerez, Spain. She oversees the New York City market for all their Sherries, Brandy & Dos Maderas Rum.
Her next passion is to open her own Cocktail Bar, Restaurant and Online Ecommerce Wine & Spirits Business in her hometown of Astoria, Queens, NY.
Lucía Alliegro
Ron Carúpano - Global Marketing DirectorLucia Alliegro, Ron Carúpano’s Global Marketing Director responsible for leading the strategic marketing plan and brand positioning worldwide. With over 18 years of experience leading powerful brands (such as Kellogg’s, and Electrolux, among others) in fast-moving consumer goods and B2B markets. +4 years of experience working within the rum industry, UCAB graduate, Industrial Engineer with a Master’s Degree in Marketing, and also Certified Rummelier. Passionate about nature, outdoor plans, and enjoying a good rum in the company of special people!
Keri Algar
Soltera Rum - Head DistillerFuelled by tropical island rum bar dreams, Keri singlehandedly started a craft distillery to make rum in Australia under the flagship brand Soltera Rum. She uses traditional methods and a small copper pot still to handcraft spirits from local and sustainable molasses. Her award-winning products are testament to her determination, a passion for producing the best rum possible and her willingness to constantly learn to fine tune her craft.
Estefanía Montalvo
YouTube's First Female Rum Reviewer and Master Rummelier.| A rum enthusiast at the young age of 18 (legal age to drink in Ecuador). Nia’s first time trying rum was with Ron Abuelo in a Cuba Libre. She was delighted by the spirits’ coloring, sweetness, and smokiness. Some years later, working for an airplane charter company at the time, pilots/coworkers would always graciously bring her back some rum. She would do reviews of the bottles (on IG), calling them My Rum Diaries. This is where the idea was born. When COVID hit, she decided to revisit the concept with total commitment. She started her YouTube channel. She could sense that there was a need for a female rum reviewer in this male-heavy niche. Since then, She has been dedicating time to this amazing passion project. Helping be people’s navigator for rums from all over the world. |
Kate Stone
Vice President of Sales for SelvaRey RumKate’s prolific career began while in college at the tender age of 21 working part-time as a Marketing Representative for Miller Brewing Company. It didn’t take long before she realized she had found her calling. A year later she was recruited for a sales role with the 5th largest Anheuser-Busch Distributor in the US. Kate quickly rose through the ranks becoming the first woman to hold a senior leadership role in company history. After 13 years of mastering the art of beer, she jumped head first into the spirits world running the On-Premise channel for Beam Suntory in Ohio. After 9 incredible years with Beam, always believing her career was a passion not a necessity, she took a chance on an emerging rum company upon hearing the authentic story behind the brand.
Kate joined SelvaRey Rum in 2021, as the Director of Control States & On-Premise National accounts before becoming the Vice President of Sales, the role she holds dearly today. Kate’s mission, and that of SelvaRey, is to redefine the rum category as we know it. She takes great pride in educating buyers and consumers alike on the culture and quality of premium luxury rum. When she’s not out ‘rummin’ the world, you can find Kate on the sidelines cheering on her 3 greatest accomplishments, her children, ages 22, 19, and 14 as well spending time with her husband of 24 years. She credits her family for inspiring her to be the best she can be everyday while encouraging others to do the same.
Janet Bonilla
CEO at La Marielita RumLa Marielita brand is a unique, and exquisite seed cultivated to flourish, thrive, and succeed.
Yesterday’s “gusana” is today’s butterfly. A delicately crafted spirit, where the richness of their
founder’s homeland and the strength and confidence of its people will be savored with every sip. Founder Janet Diaz-Bonilla continues what her grandfather began, by building on a solid foundation of inherent hard work and a penchant for supreme quality.
“I am a daughter, a wife, a mom, a writer, and the first Cuban-American immigrant woman Founder and owner of a rum brand. I am also a Marielita. On April 1st, 1980, thousands of Cubans swarmed the Peruvian embassy in Cuba, begging for political asylum, provoking an exodus known today as The Mariel Boatlift. “Marielitos” was (and still is) the moniker given to those who arrived during that exodus. I was six years old when, along with my parents, we journeyed from the Mariel Port in Cuba to Key West, Florida, across the Florida Straits; a voyage that lasted seventeen dark and horrifying hours at sea. Upon arriving in Key West, we were transferred to Fort Smith, Arkansas, for further processing at a holding camp at the former Army base, Fort Chaffee. We were held there for fifty- four days and would not be awarded our freedom until July 8th, 1980. A terrifying experience for my parents and me.”
Georgina Bowell
Co-founder, Goldstone RumI grew up in the family pub. That’s where I got my love and passion for food and drink. Throughout my teens, I worked in hospitality around Sussex, UK, including the Pullman train and the Bluebell Railway and Glyndebourne Opera House’s summer seasons. During that time, I saw what it takes to cut it in the drinks industry.
My other passion is marketing, and I have spent most of my career in it. I love building brands that people aspire to and bringing meaningful value propositions to the market. I’m excited to bring to life our unique British rum.
Most rum made in the UK is a blend of Caribbean, but Goldstone Rum is different. Made from scratch onsite in our little Sussex distillery from four types of sugar. On-site, we have a rum school where guests can make their own unique blend of rum using spices and botanicals.
Rosaida Gonzalez
Public Relations Manager, Vinicola del Norte.The fourth generation of Vinicola del Norte and the fifth generation of Brugal, proudly continue the legacy of the tradition of Don Juan Brugal Perez. A journalist with a Master’s in Commercial Management and Ecological Management, a specialist in Rums, and a winemaker.
Clarissa Hines
Santa Teresa NAM Brand ManagerA 2011 summer internship with Dom Pérignon gave Clarissa Hines her first taste of the spirits industry, and she’s been a rising star ever since. As Santa Teresa’s Brand Manager, Clarissa is responsible for driving the brand’s equity, guiding its strategy, and helping more consumers experience this rich, traditionally crafted solera rum. Before Santa Teresa, Clarissa helped build some of the world’s other famous spirit brands, including Martini & Rossi, Moët & Chandon, and Dom Pérignon. Her knack for marketing finer experiences also gave her an opportunity to help several other luxury brands become more approachable, attainable, and desirable, including fashion brands Kenzo and Givenchy and the world-famous Christie’s auction house.
Clarissa’s abilities are as multicultural as they are proficient; her fluency in Spanish, English and intermediate French, along with her triple American, Spanish, and Venezuelan citizenship, help her guide Santa Teresa with a deeper, more direct connection to the brand and the culture that makes it so special.
Olivia Stewart
President, Oxbow Rum DistilleryOlivia Stewart’s family has owned and operated their Louisiana cane farm and sugar mill since 1859. Her childhood on the farm instilled a passion for all things sugarcane––and eventually rum. When the pandemic hit, she moved back home to operate the family’s distillery, Oxbow Rum Distillery. Located in Baton Rouge, they distill their premium rums from cane juice and high-test molasses, all of which are sourced from their fields and mill.
Erin Sumner
SLY DOG - Head of MarketingI have always wanted to work in the drinks industry after spending nearly 8 years in hospitality. After a chance meeting with founder Louis, I knew SLY DOG was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss. As Head of Marketing, my role mainly revolves around encouraging everyone to discover the beauty and complexity spiced rum has to offer, away from the sugary, cheap options we’ve all become too comfortable with. Alongside this, I thrive in developing relationships with customers and industry experts alike so it’s fair to say I love what I do – especially when every opportunity is complemented with a beautiful SLY and Stormy!
Katharina Schittko
Director of Fine and Rare division for East Asia at Dictador RumI grew up bilingual, and German and Polish are my first languages. I can communicate in Spanish and Russian. But my biggest passion is Chinese. I am fluent in Traditional Chinese. I spent 10 years in Taiwan where I discovered my passion for not only languages but people. I am not afraid to talk to anyone or stand in front of an audience. I have a master’s degree in Fine Arts – musical actor. A big honor for me was to stand on many stages and in front of Hollywood cameras. I have a thorough understanding of Sales Planning and Business Development. I have been mostly involved in establishing effective client relationships. I have also developed a superior understanding of customer service and customer relationships over the span of time. Now my stage is the rum industry where I can shine and bring smiles to people’s faces.
Jennifer Carroll
CEO of Yolo Rum LTDJennifer is the current CEO of Yolo Rum Ltd and serves on the Board of Trustees at HCA Orange Park Hospital. Previously Jennifer served as a Senior Advisor for the Global Digital Solutions Inc. advisory board and worked with officers and directors to complete multiple acquisitions. She is the former President and C.E.O. of NACSV Inc. Jennifer is a former Representative in the Florida legislature and was Florida’s 18th Lieutenant Governor. She led several trade-related missions where Florida businesses realized over $70 million in a new trade. Jennifer is a highly decorated retired Navy veteran who rose from an enlisted jet mechanic to retiring as a Lieutenant Commander after 20 years.
Nancy Duarte
Santa Teresa | Rum Master“My name is Nancy Duarte and I began my career in the industry in 1990 when I entered Ron Santa Teresa as an intern. I remember that in those early days, I had the opportunity to work with two great rum masters, one of them being Jean Paul Levert. I started out preparing the daily tastings that allowed us to judge each product. I carefully cleaned the glasses and served the rum to be tasted. They seemed to like the way I did things and asked me what I thought about each batch of aged rum. The truth was that behind the scenes I was taking a sip of each one just to learn about the characteristics of them all and, little by little, I began to be included in the evaluations and my opinions began to count. They thought I had a talent for it. Today I have 32 years working with Santa Teresa Rum!”
Blanca Vega
Flor de Caña Rum - Digital Marketing ExecutiveBlanca is a creative digital marketer currently based in Nicaragua (her home country) but has called Chicago and Rome home in previous years. Her work and studies focus on an international and multicultural approach to sharing stories that advance communication goals about sustainability in the food/drinks industry and the nonprofit sector. As one of Flor de Caña’s digital marketing executives, she helps create the unique, visual journey of the world’s only carbon neutral and fair trade certified spirit.
Alexandra Dorda
Founder of Kasama RumAlexandra Dorda is the founder of Kasama Rum, a small-batch rum inspired by her mother’s native Philippines. Alexandra’s love of craft spirits comes from her Polish father, who co-founded Belvedere & Chopin Vodkas. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in International Relations, Alexandra worked at Chobani Yogurt for two years in Manhattan before returning to Poland to work for the family business doing marketing and new product development. She then moved on to work in private equity for 4 years before she was drawn back to the spirits industry, forging her own path with the development of Kasama. Alexandra’s first solo venture not only brings to light her industry knowledge, heritage, and entrepreneurship that runs in her family, but also a sense of optimism that many consumers are craving right now.
Laura Marin
General Manager Parce RumLaura Marín Serna is an expert in Marketing and Sales with more than 7 years of experience in the alcohol industry. It has managed to position a premium rum brand worldwide with great success thanks to the excellent management of its sales teams and especially to a marketing proposal that is close to the customer and innovative, differentiating itself from the rest of the spirits. Additionally her work has shown interest in contributing to the environment and carrying a positive message from Colombia every time Parce conquers a new market, showing the wonders of her country.
DeAnna Powell
Regional Brand Ambassador - Saint James, Glen Moray, Cutty SarkDeAnna Powell grew up in Miami but has been residing in New York for the last 7 years. Her early drinking years in college involved lots of rum. In fact, when she began her work in the spirits industry, one of the first brands she worked on was Sailor Jerry. Over time, her exposure to a multitude of spirits made her realize the layers to every spirit category and what makes them special. This led to an appreciation of aged rums and more recently, a love of Agricole Rhum. She loves working on a unique rhum like Saint James along with top Whisky brands like Glen Moray and Cutty Sark.
Ashley Jackson & Jenai Stanley
HALO 7 RUM - OWNERS & CEOHalo 7 is a concept conceived by two black women, Ashley Jackson and JeNai Stanley, god sisters based out of the Chicago area. Ashley, a lawyer & innovator, and JeNai, an artist & college professor have worked to turn their dream of owning a premium rum and luxury brand into reality.
Ashley and JeNai have built a luxury brand giving honor to their ancestors. Encapsulating richness and complexity with notes of vanilla, coconut, and caramel, Halo7 defines an exceptionally iconic and indulgent experience elevating craft spirits to the next level.
Penny Cox
CO-FOUNDER OF ROCKPOOL RUMPenny is one of 4 co-founders of Rockpool Rum (company name Spirit & Soul Pte Ltd). Born in Australia, grew up in Europe, and now living in Singapore with her family.
“I’ve been working in eCommerce for the majority of my career, with a particular focus on Food and Drinks and Sustainability. We dreamed up Rockpool about 4 years ago and it’s been a lot of hard work (and a lot of fun) bringing our dream to life”, she said.
Shana Kanesha Rajahram
Rum BartenderShe is an easy-going, fun-loving mom, who is passionate about her craft and mixology. Born and raised in Central, Trinidad, and Tobago, Shana knew from an early age that she was destined to be a mixologist. In 2012 she was offered an opportunity to follow her dream when she was employed as a waitress and bartender, and to turn a dream into reality, she worked countless hours at the “cocktail dojo” perfecting both the Caribbean and International classics.
Her passion for the craft allowed her to discover Angostura and the deep heritage of the brand. Shana is fueled with the passion to fight for what she loved, in a male-dominated industry. Today she is honored to have the opportunity to work very closely with young bartenders, imparting her knowledge to them in hopes that they would be encouraged to live their dream. After her victory at the “Taste of the Caribbean” competition in 2018, one of Shana’s goals materialized when she started her own business “Mixtress Professional Bar Services,” providing premium bar services for special events weddings, and corporate events, cocktail events & food pairing / consulting. Shana’s love for her craft has given her an in-depth appreciation of its history, Its evolution of the cocktail, and its future “Every cocktail begins with a great spirit.”
Anna Ostrovskyj
Self Entrepreneur - OenologistI am Italian, with a part of Ukrainian blood from my grandfather, thus I am a “blend”. I have been passionate about wine and spirits from a very young age thanks to my family, and I trained in the oenology of wine and spirits through study and active practice. I formed my own consulting company, 4 years ago, Coeur De Chauffe, to assist distilleries through the path of spirit creation (choice of the raw material, fermentation, distillation, maturation, eventual blending), preferring, amongst them, the ones working with pure sugarcane juice.
At the present moment, I assist some clients in the French Caribbeans and one in Italy, all producing pure sugarcane juice rum; in addition, I continue my activity as a trainer for Whisky Club Italia and F.I.S.A.R.
My first objective is to transmit my passion through the products I help to produce, the profession of training and writing, and my other great love: I manage the blog coeurdechauffe.com where I speak in three languages about rum, spirits, and wine.
The different aspects of my activity have in common the creativity and the need to explore. I am someone who loves to learn constantly and to invest time and resources in my personal development and evolution, besides this, I am very happy to share my knowledge with open-minded people: I believe that knowledge finds its true nature only when shared. I am truly passionate about fermentations and always try to innovate in this particular segment of my job which I believe is the real core of any alcohol making process.
CLEMENTINE GUILLOT
Export Manager – Rhum DamoiseauA Rum lover! 100% French, Italy is my adopted country and in normal time globetrotter! After graduating in Business, I worked as a digital marketing manager for international companies. But I ditched the nine-to-five and started a new adventure as a rum ambassador in Italy six years ago – an opportunity which has now become a passion. I have been hosting masterclasses and events to showcase the distillery’s unique rhums from the Damoiseau family to fine spirits enthusiasts around the globe.
Gosia Kolbowska
Dictador Japan Brand&Sales Manager - Director of Fine&Rare Division JapanBorn and raised in Warsaw, Poland, currently residing long-term in Kyoto, Japan – Gosia was always tied to the alcohol industry since she started bartending at 18 years old after graduating from the International School of Bartenders and Sommeliers in Warsaw. She holds an MA in Psychology as well from University of Warsaw. With passion for Japanese culture stemming from early adolescence, Gosia learnt the language and have been working with Dictador since 2018 on the Japanese market. As a person passionate for alcohol and the industry, Gosia has been using her experience from behind the bar and from her degree to fuel and expand the aged rum scene in Japan and corresponding Asian markets. In private life, she enjoys sipping rum as much as providing the same experience to rum-curious customers.
Gaële Sary
Founder and Owner of Rum BabsHaving moved from Madagascar to France at the age of 10 due to poor living conditions, Gaële is now proud to have created Rum Babs. Gaële is excited to share century old recipes, passed down by her grandmother, to create “Punch-au-Rhum”; a refined combination of locally grown spices and fruits, mixed with the best rums the island has to offer. For Gaële creating, sharing, and selling Rum Babs has a double meaning. She can share a part of her cultural heritage with her new home, whilst also contributing to the wellbeing of Madagascar, as each bottle sold supports an education or wildlife conservation initiative back home.
Marlin Guzman
Venezuela Marketing Director - Santa Teresa RumMy passion is building brands that people love. A portfolio that exceeds growth and profit objectives but also changes lives.
I do this in a rough and complex environment, but as a good engineer, love solving problems. Every day I enjoy and learn, expanding my field of action from monitoring key business variables to the content published on a social media platform.
I am a Production Engineer and have a Master’s degree in marketing. I started my career 17 years ago at Procter & Gamble. Currently, I am the head of Marketing of Santa Teresa Rum in Venezuela.
ANGHERLIN OLIVARES
Senior Planner of Liquids - Ron Santa TeresaI am Angherlin Olivares, an agronomist specializing in agro-industrial processes, with more than 8 years of experience in the rum industry. I currently work as a senior planner of liquids in @ronsantateresa, planning the distillation of alcohol, its aging and the blend of rums that are part of each of the products, to guarantee the continuity of the production of the best Venezuelan rums.
Within my experience, passing through the quality department allowed me to learn about the world of flavors and aromas, being part today of the expert panel for tasting rums and raw materials, which guarantees high quality standards.
My work as a woman in the rum industry has allowed me to taste all the touches of anecdotes, experiences, and characteristics of Venezuelan rum that are part of our history and legacy.
Andrea Larrazabal
Commercial Finance Leader - Santa Teresa RumEconomist, cocktail enthusiast, rum lover. Andrea has worked in the beverage industry since 2014, but found her real passion when she started working at Ron Santa Teresa, a company with over 225 years of foundation, the largest and oldest distillery in Venezuela, and the place where rum and purpose meet.
The finances behind the aged beverage industry are very interesting and challenging, if you add Venezuela’s economic environment you got yourself the perfect cocktail for a 360° financier. Andrea is in charge of planning and establishing the company’s financial KPIs, both for the local and the international businesses, but what she loves to do in her free time is to mix some drinks for her friends
Shara Napoli Esteban
Brand and Digital Manager - Santa Teresa RumAfter finishing my studies in Communications, I started working in an advertising agency. It was 4 years later, in 2015 when Santa Teresa knocked on my door. After a couple of long interviews for two different positions, I entered the company as Jr. Brand Manager for the Super Premium portfolio.
Santa Teresa 1796 is the brand that I’ve managed from the beginning. I have seen it grow and travel the world but, above all, it is the brand that has seen me grow as a professional in these last six years.
Today, the rum industry in Venezuela is mostly – If not all of it – led by women. Perhaps, that is why it is such a competitive area, and one of the reasons why I fell in love with it. Six years of smiling at life’s challenges perfectly sum up my experience in the spirits industry in Venezuela, the land of rum.
Rosamy Belmonte
Master Blender - Industrias BravoShe has a degree in Food Technology. She has worked at Industrias Bravo & Cía. since 2009, where she started in the area of new product development. Later she began working as a Supervisor in the liquor-making process. From this position, she began her first steps with the elaboration of aged rums and later, as responsible for the aging process of rums.
“That experience defined my passion and my professional goals. Today I have the responsibility of developing two rums for the company: the Ultra Añejo Caballo Viejo Rum and the Bucare Añejo Rum”, Rosamy said.
Dawn Davies
Speciality Drinks Ltd - Director of BuyingDuring university, Dawn worked in a bar to fund her social life and this is where she falls in love with the hospitality industry. She graduated in 2000 then went on to work full-time for a year as a Bar Manager. In 2002 she decided she wanted to work in a top London restaurant so applied for a job at a place called Mju; it was here that she started her career with wine.
“I made my name as a Head Sommelier at Zuma Restaurant and Gordon Ramsey’s Boxwood Café. My last restaurant, the one I was most proud of, was the Ledbury which I opened and ran for two years. When I left Ledbury I was approached to join Selfridges as the head wine and spirits buyer. Here I learned about the Spirit business,” Dawn said.
During that time she achieved her Master of Wine. She left Selfridges in 2015 to join Speciality Drinks as their buying director, where she is today. Here is where she sank her teeth into the spirits category developing a real passion for rum, cognac, agave spirits, and of course whisky. During her time here she has also taken on the running of their many shows as well as heading up the shop teams.
Becky Hunt
Director and co-founder of Old Mother Hunt RumFor the last six years I have been at home, looking after my two young children, something which I will cherish forever. Along the way though, I neglected a part of myself and I didn’t even realise until we launched Old Mother Hunt Rum. The challenge of creating a company from nothing and learning about ferments and distillation made me realise how proud of my achievements I could be and the endless possibilities I still have for my future. Making rum from scratch has been the most exciting, fulfilling thing I’ve ever done and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Andrea Sáenz
Ron Colonial | Brand ManagerShe is marketer. She began her experience in spirits in 2016, joining Licores de Guatemala to lead the presence of the company’s brands on digital media.
In 2018 she had the opportunity to join the brand manager’s team, being in charge of the “Ready to drinks” category, a category that faced great growth challenges.
One year later, she joined the reserve brands team, where she currently leads new brands with great potential in the market like Ron Colonial, the artisan rum from Antigua Guatemala and Gin Xibal, the first Guatemalan gin.
Her ambition is to conquer the palates, through these brands.
Angie Cacacho
Ron Zacapa Centenario Guatemala and Central América | Brand ManagerI started my professional career at the age of 19, I am passionate about every day of work in which I seek to give the best of myself down to the smallest detail. I am motivated by creativity, the construction of the brand strategy and above all, bring great ideas to reality and see how they become successful. I feel privileged by the experience that I have accumulated in big companies such as Philip Morris, DIAGEO and currently Licores de Guatemala.
I entered the spirit business 8 years ago and since then I consider myself very much in love with this exciting, dynamic, and magical world with so many learnings. I am very lucky to live in a rum country, which has a Designation of Origin (DO) Ron de Guatemala and lead for Guatemala and Central America one of the most important rum brands in the world, Ron Zacapa Centenario, as well as being part of a team that seeks excellence with the aim of putting Guatemala in the eyes of the world.
LINDA GARCÍA
Head Bartender at Fats Duvall’s Rhum CaféMy passion for this category began with I tasted my first Cobra’s Fang. I currently have a Youtube channel ‘Ron-Rhum-Rum(edu)cation’. I have won ‘People’s Choice’ for best Clairin Haitian rum cocktail along with Chocolate City’s Best 2020 competition, and earned my WSET Level 2 in spirits certification.
While attending Johnson & Wales University in RI for my Baking & Pastry Arts Degree I was able to obtain a Sommelier minor, and compete at Twin River Casino. This provided me with my first bar back and bartending opportunity at ‘The Dorrance’ during my senior year. I went on to work at different cocktail bars; ‘Clover Club’, ‘Mace’, ‘Le Boudoir’.
I always try to put a touch of Latin flavor in the cocktails that I create including my ‘Endless Paradise’ cocktail mixers. My kitchen background has influenced my understanding of flavors and adventurous palette. I encourage seeking and passing knowledge onto others along with finding new ways to stay passionate and excited about each new day. There is always a new rum out there waiting to be enjoyed!
Leslie Taracena
Master Blender - Casa BotranProudly Guatemalan and Chemical Engineer.
“I started my working life in different food industries in quality and R&D areas, which led me to discover the fascinating world of aromas and flavors that finally became my passion.
Thanks to that knowledge, 7 years ago the opportunity to be part of the Ron Botran brand came into my life, which moved me to Casa Botran, in the city of Quetzaltenango, where this world-class rum is aged and created.
Today, I am proud to be part of the group of rum masters who lead the production of Ron Botran, contributing to quality control, creation of special editions and R&D of new products”
Kareen Fosang
ÉTÄN RUM FOUNDERI’m Kareen, the fifth sister, aka baby/last even though I think I’m the eldest at times! I’m a certified chartered accountant who loves a good party, brunch, afternoon tea, and a good drink of course. I’m a new mummy so embracing the sleepless nights and enjoying watching my little one grow. I love a cheeky workout – something short and punchy, unlike my crazy ‘sportaholic’ sisters Laura & Briget!
Étän is more than just a business venture, it’s our baby. It represents our upbringing, our culture, and our friendship as sisters. We believe Étän is here to change the narrative. Not only is it an African-inspired rum, but it’s also one that is built by five professional women who have normal lives and happen to be sisters and that speaks volumes! So, Women, don’t be afraid of the storm, learn how to sail your ship.
Caroline Fosang
ÉTÄN RUM FOUNDERI’m Caroline Fosang, the fourth sister behind the award-winning ÉTÄN rum! I’m a dentist by profession but also a happy-go-lucky girl, born and raised in west London. I’m 100% the peacemaker and bring positivity to the table – always!
Embarking on this journey with my sisters has been rewarding, to say the least, and has left me with a lingering taste of entrepreneurship. We aim to put Cameroon on the map…by creating this insanely delicious West African-inspired craft rum!
Five sisters, five botanicals: fever grass, orange, cassia, ginger & vanilla – now that’s Rum To The Power of Five! Live life, love life….that’s my mantra!
Noella Fosang
ÉTÄN RUM FOUNDERI’m Noella Fosang – the fabulous party-loving middle sister. I am head of the science faculty at an inner-city London school. I am also a qualified forensic scientist, so it’s safe to say I am the family science geek!
When I’m not working you will probably find me at a festival or lying on a beach, drink in hand. I have a passion for traveling and it is my mission to visit all seven continents and take Étän along with me.
Award-winning Étän rum represents not only our cultural heritage but also our family bond. Our journey in creating Étän, a delectable golden spiced rum, is proof that five heads are better than one and there are no limits to what we can achieve! I can say with 100% confidence that I have the best sisters in the world. So cheers to Étän – Rum to the Power of Five!
Briget Fosang
ÉTÄN Rum FounderI am Briget Fosang, second sister, a full-time working, fitness fanatic, social butterfly, mother of four; aka certified nutter. I honestly believe I have 30 hours in my day and enjoy being constantly on the go. Like Laura, I love a good obstacle race alongside high-intensity home workouts. Obviously, with the hard work I put in, downtime always nearly involves good food, good drinks, and a good chat with friends and family.
Creating Étän has been challenging but oh so rewarding. Working with my sisters has shone a light on the tight bond we have and while it’s never been plain sailing, it’s always been worth it. I am beyond proud of the five of us and the example; we can be, not only to our daughters but to all girls and women alike. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your dreams!
Laura Czech
ÉTÄN RUM FOUNDERI am Laura Czech, the eldest of the five sisters. I am an NHS GP, wife, mother of two, and captain of my local women’s rugby team. I am passionate about rugby, pole fitness, and obstacle racing. I also love a good night out, holiday adventures with my family, beaches, sunshine, and cocktails!
My motto in life is to work hard, play harder!
The journey from concept to production of ÉTÄN during the pandemic has been incredibly challenging and rewarding in equal measures. I could not have chosen four more incredible women to be working with. Together we have created a rum and brand that we are so proud of.
Ellie Taverner
Rum Distiller - Scratch British RumDistilling rum from scratch in green rural Hertfordshire, England where I was born and grew up, I have the absolute delight of exploring and demonstrating through distilling, how beautifully diverse rum can be. I was introduced to the rum world at a young age by my brother in law Doug, an absolute rum nerd. I was always curious about his total fixation on distilling rum on British soil, persistently questioning his Fermentation process, sitting with him through long distillations and the sweet delight of sampling different casks.
Originally I was asked to rebrand the rum. I wanted to curate a bottle that clearly depicted our mission of making rum, from Scratch, here in Hertfordshire. But there was also a huge opportunity to go further and produce a brand that surpassed the rum stereotype. I was bored of rum being branded so heavily towards the male consumer, of pirates and nautical motifs, of the use of dark masculime colour pallettes. It felt over saturated and unaccessible even for a female rum enthusiast. I strongly believe there needs to be a conscious push to open up rum as a more diverse spirit, in taste and drinker.
It wasn’t long until I dedicated fully to educating myself on the wonderful practice of rum distilling. With no surprise, I quickly became obsessed. Soon I was wondering what flavours could be drawn out of local plants that mimic tropical notes. I spent months tirelessly vapour distilling foraged botanicals with the dream to curate a botanical rum that, with a splash of tonic and a slice of orange, would demonstrate the versatile nature of rum and entice a new wave of rum drinkers.
I am so completely grateful and proud to be a part of this industry, alongside so many inspirational women. I look forward to many more years of distilling rum from my wonderful copper pot still, right here, where I spent my childhood.
Fifi Bruce
Brand Ambassador of Ron Colón Salvadoreño, GermanyFifi Bruce is the brand ambassador of Ron Colón Salvadoreño Germany and a passionate bartender with over a decade of experience behind the stick. A bit of a geek and always on the look-out for new challenges and opportunities that allow her growth and expansion of the career she loves. In an effort to learn from the source, Fifi has travelled to some of the best distilleries and attended some of the world’s top beverage shows, accompanied by adventurous bar tours in the leading cities of the industry. The core of her values lies in education fomenting productive change.
Isobel Ferris
Co-owner and Marketing/Branding Manager of Quirky Rum.My name is Isobel Ferris and I am a co-owner at Quirky Rum, a Southampton UK based craft Rum company. My journey into the alcohol industry started as a mixologist and bartender in bars and pubs across the UK, firstly starting out in the Isle of Man where I am from and then in Nottingham where I went to university. Following this I moved to London and started a career in Project Management. Merging my passion for creative rum cocktails and managing business change came along the opportunity to join the Quirky Rum team, as the project manager and later taking on the role of the branding and marketing manager.
Quirky Rum is just at the start of its journey after officially launching in March 2021. This has been an incredible and challenging, yet extremely rewarding adventure, that I have been able to share with my 3 other co-owners. We all share a passion for finding new, ethical and creative ways to enjoy rum. Our aim is to transform rum from same old same old, to all-time favourites with a twist.
Antia Moreno
Internal Audit Director at Ron BarcelóMy work experience at Ron Barceló began in March 2007. From that moment to date, it has been a great and exciting job because one day is not like another. As a group leader, it allows me to feel identified, proud, and empowered by the functions I perform; since I know that I can continue to offer my knowledge and skills for the service of others. I have overseen compliance with the regulations that the company has been certified: carbon-neutral certification according to standard 140067 and the RB360 sustainability code.
Chockie Tom
Co-founder Doom Tiki, Indigenous Rights Advocate, Brand ConsultantLos Angeles born Chockie Tom is an award winning bartender and brand ambassador, currently in London. Connecting her Pomo and Paiute heritage with her advocacy work, she brings a unique perspective to an industry lacking in Indigenous presence. Chockie is best known for her innovative cocktail building techniques, beautifully designed brand and event art, advocacy within the spirits industry. She is a founder of Doom Tiki, an internationally recognized pop-up series that tackles the issues of appropriation in Tiki subcutle and fundraises for communities that are still dealing with the effects of colonization. She has been featured in PUNCH, NBC NewsMagazine, The New York Times and was recently featured as one of Imbibe 75 for her work.
CHIARA PENNACCHIO
Global Marketing Director Ron Barceló| Global Marketing Director, Consumer Insights professional and Entrepreneur with 20 years of distinguished performance in world leader FMCG Intl Companies. Blessed with Global International experience in several Markets (Italy, Spain, Latin America) & HeadQuarters (Switzerland, NYC). Energized by professional challenges, I matured a sound Consumer Centricity approach and Disruptive Thinking, able to achieve challenging business goals leading multicultural team. Professional career has not prevented me from building a beautiful family and thanks to teamwork with my husband we are raising 2 globetrotting boys. Proud to be part of Ron Barceló family, I left big multinational to lead the Marketing global expansion of Ron Barceló, focused on sustainable innovation. Ron Barceló is the most exported dark rum in the world, in more than 80 countries, it’s the first certified Carbon neutral since 2016. A product that is made with fresh raw material, free of added chemicals. We are proud to say that our rums are 100% made from fresh sugar cane juice, of our fields, and only less than 10% of the world’s rum production is made from sugar cane juice! To women who asked me for advice I always say: Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambition! Be prepared, be brave, be human, work in team! Human capital is the biggest asset we can count on. |
Susana Ortega
Ron Brugal's AmbassadorShe is the great-granddaughter of Don Andrés Brugal, the founder of Dominican’s rum. She belongs to the fifth generation of the family. To his father and uncles, the fourth generation of the Brugal family, she owes her passion for rum and all the knowledge of the world of spirits. At the age of nineteen, she joins the family business where she develops professionally, studies Systems Engineering, and a Master’s in Marketing.
Her close relationship with the aging industry leads her to study and specialize in distillates and rum, concentrating on one of her great dreams, educating about rum. Besides rum, she loves country life and horses. As an islander, she has never been able to live far from the sea. She is obsessed with the inner world of the great Brugal rums. Pair, explore flavors and smells, connect them with memories and experiences, make each experience unforgettable.
Ana Catalina Escalante Núñez
Flor de Caña Brand Associate - Costa RicaAna Catalina Escalante is a marketing specialist with experience in business administration and marketing. Lover of reading and knowing new places. She is currently part of the Flor de Caña Costa Rica team as a Brand Ambassador, a premium rum produced sustainably, certified Carbon Neutral and Fair Trade, leading the strategic development in the On and OFF Premise channels, where the best business strategy occurs when a client is satisfied because the passion for what you do makes the difference.
Marta Panco
Co-founder and GM of Tortuga Rum BarMarta Panco is coming originally from Moldova, a wine-producing country! But her passion for rum came from her different travels to the Caribbean (Cuba and Dominican Republic) and discovering new taste and a new culture behind the wonderful spirit called Rum.
Other African rum producing countries that she visited like Mauritius and Madagascar also enchanted her with the variety of good quality sipping rums and their very famous rhum arrangé!
Now partnering with her Caribbean life partner – Ron (yes not a coincidence his name means rum in Spanish), they’ve both opened the first-ever and only Rum Bar in Nairobi, Kenya and Eastern Africa called Tortuga Rum bar.
Their decision to open a Rum Bar came from not finding more than maybe a couple of good sipping rums throughout all the other bars in Kenya. Now with over 60 different rums available at Tortuga Rum Bar, Marta is spearheading the operations at the bar and together with Ron they are promoting the lifestyle and culture around rum and change the narrative in Kenya and the entire East African region. The main goal is to educate people on the rums through rum tasting events, festivals and other events. The future goal is to open more rum bars in the region.
Sandra Reategui
Master Blender - Ron ColomaSandra Reategui is a chemical engineer with more tan 31 years of experience in the spirits industry, with a major in Enology and viticulture from Jerez Spain. She is the head production director of Coloma, in her home country Colombia. Working on Coloma has meant to magnify the knowledge and specializing in a variety of spirits and leading the development of Ron Coloma. She dedicated some years to traveling through Central America, sharing experiences with other master blenders, and her experience was instrumental in creating the original aging and finishing method of Ron Coloma, with its unique and subtle coffee notes. As one of Coloma’s two master blenders, Sandra has continuously created spirits which capture the essence of Colombia, and she is honored to be a part of this select guild of rum-loving women
Bertha Gonzalez
Commercial Director at Casa BrugalShe is a very close and empathetic leader who has achieved an authentic mystique in her team. Bertha is also a connoisseur of the alcoholic beverages market in the Dominican Republic, who has led several projects to develop the route to market strategy in the beverage sector, and has extended that knowledge to her entire team, always taking into account the characteristics of each region. She has been working at Casa Brugal since 2011 and is responsible for ensuring that its great portfolio of premium beverage are present in every Dominican consumer experience. With her specialties in Senior Management and Corporate Finance, Bertha is an outstanding Marketing professional with a long and successful career in commercial projects and business intelligence.
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VICKY MILON
French Bacardi Brand AmbassadorWhen young Vicky joined a hotel management school in the suburbs of Paris, her plan was to become maître d’hôtel. By chance, an internship brought her behind the bar of Lutetia Paris Rive Gauche . There, she was challenged to learn 10 classic cocktails in a few hours in order to earn her place at the evening service! She successfully passed the test and started her exciting adventure in the world of spirits.
Back then, a bit more than a decade ago, there weren’t many women at her place. Vicky remembers that when she started, some bars were reluctant to hire female bartenders. Fortunately, this was not the case of her dream bar at the time: Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme . She spent 3 years learning from the best teachers in the prestigious hotel rue de La Paix. Her next move did not disorient her in her daily commute: she crossed Place Vendôme, and join Mandarin Oriental, Paris, for its opening in August 2011.
After these intense years working in the bustling heart of Paris, Vicky decided to change of scenery temporarily and left the posh City of Lights for Australia’s endless and dusty roads. Down there, she lived the experience at its fullest, opening her mind to a different culture, and practicing her English non-stop. This new language skill revealed to be a precious asset to find a job in Paris after a year abroad: first at Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, and then at Buddha Bar Hotel Paris as Chef Barman.
As she’s finally established on the Paris cocktail scene, a new opportunity comes along and tickles Vicky’s attraction for new challenges: joining Bacardi as Brand Ambassador for Rhums & Cachaça. Being of Guadeloupean origin, Vicky has a particular attachment for rum – a very popular but yet complex and rich spirit. She followed her heart and has been living the #BacardiLife since then!
Natalia García
Iberia Bacardi Brand AmbassadorI’m form Santander, a small town in the north of Spain. Actually I live in Madrid with my family enjoying the rum life. I joined BACARDÍ 6 years ago as a Southern Europe BACARDÍ rum Brand Ambassador after almost 17 years in the bar industry. I worked as a bartender in iconic venues like Museo Chicote in Madrid, Boca Chica in Barcelona or City Social in London but originally I studied Topography Engineering… Of course, I felt in love with the bar life. I won the best rum Brand Ambassador in the International Rum Congress in 2016.
Martha Miller
Chief Executive Officer - National Rums of Jamaica LimitedMartha is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons) in Computer Studies, and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Additionally, Martha is a board member of the Spirits Pool Association (SPA) and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC).
Martha joined NRJ as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary on November 18, 2013 and was appointed Deputy CEO in March 2020. Before her employment at NRJ, Martha’s career in finance spanned over 20 years having served in senior positions as Regional Head Technology at LIME; Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis at Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited; and General Manager, Finance at the ICD Group of Companies/Mechala Group. Martha is married to Kirk Miller and the union produced two beautiful girls Abigail and Savannah.
Ana Rita
BartenderI’m a bartender in the Netherlands.
I’ve been in this business for 4 years.
The best in this work for me is contact with people and being able to improve their day a little with our smile, attention and of course, a great cocktail to relax a little, the best is to provide good memories with our art.
Working in this industry as a woman has not always been easy. At the beginning a lot of people doubt our ability because we are women, but with time and showing my work I ended up overcoming this small obstacle and nowadays I can say that it is very good to work in this industry as a woman.
Gabriela Ayala
Ron Cihuatán - Master BlenderMy story is very different from many Master Blenders. Although in El Salvador we are the first to produce rum, I cannot say that I grew up with the illusion of working in the rum industry.
My dream was always chemistry and working doing experiments in a laboratory, because I grew up accompanying my father to his work and he worked doing many experiments in a microbiology laboratory: a very fascinating world for a child.
In this way I decided to study Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Nacional de El Salvador. When I was already studying, I fell in love with food science and decided to get my specialization in that area.
This training allowed me to work in the Salvadoran sugar industry, in the development of new projects such as implementations of Safety and Quality Management Systems, as well as the development of new food products. This experience allowed me to get to know the Central American sugar industry and to experience the bond that each country has with its brand of rum. At that time I decided to study a master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Finance at the Instituto Superior de Economía y Administración de Empresas.. I was interested in developing new projects in the food industry.
By chance or destiny, I read a job offer that intrigued me because it said that they needed a person who was not afraid to start a project and … I applied! It was to start the production of a premium Salvadoran rum. This is how I inherited in July 2014, a winery with a lot of barrels of rum; But, it was until the day that I tasted the aged rums that these had, that I became passionate and fell madly in love with this distillate.
From that moment, I feel committed to being able to present them to the world in the best way, so I continue in my constant training in this sensory world, from personal consultancies with rum masters to sommelier graduates.
Judith Ramirez
Master Blender - Ron ColomaJudith grew up in the lush green mountainsides in the heart of Colombia´s coffee region surrounded by crystal blue Waters and a cultural environment that inspired her to live life to the fullest. As a chemistry graduate she became part of Coloma´s Family, and has dedicated her career and experience to the development of rum and other kinds of spirits and thanks to Judith´s professionalism, Coloma´s production facilities were the first to be awarded a BPM (good manufacturing practices) certificate in the Colombia.
Over the last few years, Judith has worked in different rum developments and innovative interpretations of aging, hence her deep appreciation for rum. Now with more than 31 years of experience in the spirits industry and as one of Coloma´s two master rum blenders, Judith is the proud Master Blender of her beloved brand Ron Coloma. With Ron Coloma, Judith wanted to represent the spirit of Colombia abroad: a smooth rum yet full of character, with subtle coffee notes from its unique aging and finish process. Judith is proud to be part of this select guild of rum-loving women and master blenders throughout the world.
Lauren Thompson
Lazydog Distillery - Co-Founder/DirectorI am from a project management background within the construction industry and so entering the spirits industry has been incredibly daunting. My husband, Matt has always wanted to make rum from scratch and own a distillery. I encouraged him to make the dream a reality and I’m his biggest cheerleader. My role within Lazydog Distillery is to manage the business from the social media perspective, event organisations, assist with production and keep things on track! We are a fledgling company, learning as we go which is challenging but I stand as an equal to Matt within the business which I’m extremely proud of.
Joan Samia
Bacardi - Brand Ambassador, Kenya and East Africa (Tanzania, Mauritius, Ethiopia)Joan is pathbreaker as the first female brand ambassador in the spirits industry in Kenya. In 2016, she became the first African female to represent an African country in a global bartending competition, after she was declared the winner at Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year competition in Kenya.
Joan was recognized and featured on CNN Africa voices 2017 and was the most featured bartender on local and international bartending news and magazines in 2016. Joan has been with Bacardi for almost four years, having joined with more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry working as a bar manager and bartender at key hotels and restaurants in Kenya.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Joan is also responsible for East Africa, covering Tanzania, Mauritius, and Ethiopia. Joan is a strong advocate for the welfare of people afflicted by Cerebral Palsy and is a member of the Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya.
Dian Joseph
Miss Dian Joseph, Blending/Bottling Manager at the ADL rum plant.In 2005 I joined The Antigua Distillery Limited as an Office and Raw Material Procurement Coordinator. Having attained further academic and on-the-job experience, my career moved to Purchasing Coordinator and now Blending/Bottling Manager.
Of great significance is that I have been an integral part implementation team that achieved FSSC 22000, a globally recognized and sought-after Food Safety Systems Certification. I continue to see ADL as a company that encourages me to grow, and my commitment to the Company and my own life in general, is driven by a quote penned by Benjamin Disraeli “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.”
Audrey Bruisson
SPIRIBAM Marketing DirectorI am the marketing director for the SPIRIBAM portfolio and thus Rhum Clément. I
started in the company 9 years ago, and I have grown with it over the years. I am now
taking care of the 360° brand management and lead or contribute to new product
development, brand communication, content creation, PR, and events. Besides my
marketing team, I am also very lucky to be in contact daily with our production and
commercial teams as well as our other design and public relations partners.
Yelitza Suarez Guevara
Coordinadora Académica del primer Diplomado Universitario en Ron y Destilados en VenezuelaYelitza Suarez is a lawyer who specializes in international commerce. She has a strong vocation for supporting union rights and for teaching, the latter is what planted the seeds that later designed and created the diploma course and other intensive courses on rum: a flagship product of Venezuela. With the creation of the Ronmelliers Association and the Diploma Course on Rum and Spirits, Dr. Suarez has elevated and promoted the knowledge of rum to a university level, where she is the Academic Coordinator.
For over 10 years, Dr. Suarez has developed a strong campaign to disseminate the culture of rum, both at a national and international spheres, offering tastings, workshops and courses on production, market, legal framework and history of the Caribbean spirit that keeps growing in worldwide stature.
Delphine Gardere
CEO of Rhum BarbancourtDelphine Gardere grew-up in Haiti and gained significant international experience before joining the historic family-owned Rhum Barbancourt. She pursued a Business degree at Inseec School in France then attended Emory University in the United States. She held positions in London as a Stock Analyst in the pharmaceuticals industry and investment banking. In 2010, Delphine earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing from Cranfield School of Management in the UK.
While Rhum Barbancourt recovered from the devastating earthquake of 2010, Delphine gained valuable experience in the luxury goods industry at Dior Parfums and Hermes Fragrances, performing operational marketing for significant markets such as the UK, Ireland and France.
Upon her father’s passing, Delphine returned to Haiti and at just 36 years old and became CEO of Societe du Rhum Barbancourt. She is defining a new vision for the company and expanding distribution and export markets globally. Delphine Gardere lives in Port-au-Prince and is a mother of two.
Brielle Caruso
Chief Marketing Officer, SelvaRey RumBrielle Caruso has 16+ years experience in brand management, strategy and communications for some of the best known and most valued brands in the world.
Her experience ranges from LVMH – Moët Hennessy to the entrepreneurial family-run Serralles, USA to her own consultancy.
Brielle received a historic appointment as the Chief Marketing Officer of SelvaRey Rum making her the First Female Asian-American CMO in US Wine and Spirits. In this role she will lead the brand-building of the SelvaRey Rum Portfolio globally. She will also bring Bruno Mars’ creative vision to life with innovative marketing.
NOTABLE BRANDS: SelvaRey Rum, Hennessy Cognac, Belvedere Vodka, Casamigos Tequila, Caliche Rum, Glenmorangie Scotch, 10 Cane Rum.
Eglys Martinez
Global Commercial Director – Matusalem RumEglys started her career in Rum in 2009 and has now worked with over 45 different markets globally. She is originally from Venezuela, graduated in Business Management at the University of Central Florida and has a Masters in Marketing and Sales Management from ESIC.
Her career in the world of Spirits has allowed her to work across various geographies and on a global capacity in commercial management and business development roles, living in Madrid, Miami and Glasgow.
Eglys is now the Commercial Director for Matusalem Rum, one of the most recognized premium rum brands worldwide, leading the commercial department in charge of expanding Matusalem globally. She is passionate about promoting diversity in the Spirits Industry, empowering women to dream big, travel and different cultures. Her favorite drink is a Rum Old Fashion with Matusalem Gran Reserva 23 shared with good friends.
Miriam Pacheco
General Manager at Uruapan CharandaWith the emergence of Mexican craft cane spirits in the market, she has been doing a crash course to get up to speed to understand more about rum agricole. Miriam is head of her family’s operation which has been producing agave and cane spirits in Michoacán since the 1800’s maybe before.
Under Miriam’s leadership, Uruapan is undertaking some interesting projects, including a focus on single varietal cane spirits in the hopes of rescuing the lesser grown Morada. Additionally, Uruapan is looking at sustainability issues when it comes to the “bagaso”, which is easily composted, and the vinaza which needs to be treated before it can be released back into the system.
While still confusing to many, Charanda is actually pretty easy to understand: it’s a subcategory of Mexican rum with its own Denomination of Origin. This is not to say that the spirit itself, or it’s heritage and culture, are simple. Because of its obscurity Charanda has found its way into the Mexican beverage scene by way of agave spirit nerds, always on the lookout for the new and exciting.
Katie Auth
Cocktail Bartender and Founder of Katie SipsBorn in Ohio, Katie Auth made her way to New York City just five years ago to pursue a degree in flute performance from New York University. With her dedication to pursuing the craft, Katie found herself quickly diving further into the industry, which lead her to working behind bars such as Dear Irving on Hudson, Blue Quarter, and Talk Story Rooftop. Winner of the Proof cocktail competition, a “Chopped” like bartending competition, she finds herself approaching cocktails with a culinary mindset. Katie is inspired by fierce female figures and strives to help create a more equal and inclusive industry. Due to the pandemic, thousands of bars and restaurants have closed leading Katie to make the switch to a virtual career which lead her to founding Katie Sips, a virtual cocktail class business.
Joann Elardo
President & CEO - Wicked Dolphin DistilleryIn 2010, while reading about the Florida sugar industry, JoAnn Elardo started thinking about manufacturing a Florida Rum, using Florida ingredients. She wanted to create a Rum that focused on the ingredients in her home state of Florida —so began Wicked Dolphin Rum Distillery. Wicked Dolphin Rum uses 100% Florida Sugar, local ingredients and is handcrafted in small batches using an American made copper pot still, one of the largest in South Florida. The family run distillery produces several award winning rums & vodka’s available throughout Florida (Republic National Distribution Co.) and with new Distribution in MA & Il. Wicked Dolphin Distillery has expanded through the years. Free tours are given weekly at the Distillery’s Cape Coral location.
Alexandra Bernet
Strategies ManagerMy current position is strategies manager (Step change manager) in a distributer of premium and craft spirits in France. I work 100% in Wine and spirits industry since 2003- I took the chance to enter to Angostura Europe in 2008, through a subsiduary in 2008. And since, I am involved in the growth of rums premium and super premium segment by marketing, developping brands, espacially off-trade.
My background is mostly in international trade and marketing. I passed a specialized diploma in 2004. During the 3 last years I also activily organized (with 3 partners) a Rum festival in Bordeaux. I also take place in Jury for international spirits competition, in Paris, in Madrid, in London and in Bruxelles.
Lucy Dodgson
International Brand Manager for RUM Co. of FijiBased in Sydney, Australia, Lucy has always taken an interest in the complex and diverse category that is Rum, but didn’t know what she was missing until she joined the award-winning RUM Co. of Fiji team and discovered that this small Pacific Island made extraordinary rum. As International Brand Manager for RUM Co. of Fiji (the only Rum Distillery in the Fiji Islands), Lucy’s mission is to put Fiji on the world map as a credible and exceptional rum-producing nation.
Lucy works alongside RUM Co. of Fiji’s distribution partners in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, China, Australia and New Zealand to build awareness of Fijian Rum and continue to grow the RUM Co. of Fiji portfolio in these global markets and beyond. Rum has the power to bring people from all walks of life together, which is something Lucy most enjoys about the industry.
Grethel Perdomo
Commercial Director of the Havana Club Rum MuseumI have been working for Havana Club for 10 years now. I majored in English and German Language and Linguistics. The world of spirits always fascinated me, although I knew nothing about it. After I finished university, I first started working as a host at the Havana Club Rum Museum, where I became familiar with the subject; my background was years of family traditions related to rum before this. After 3 years of studying and working as a host, I was promoted to my current position.
Havana Club is always present wherever you go in Cuba, but learning how rum is made and everything it takes to make a high-quality product, made me fall in love with the process. In the time I have worked for this brand I have exchanged and learned from everyone from Brand Ambassadors to Masters of Rum. The science and craft behind rum are truly amazing, making this work known is one of the main goals of our brand home.
I am currently the Commercial Director of the Havana Club Rum Museum and I am also in charge of marketing and communications of the visitor center. At our brand home we welcome everyone that wants to know about rum and fall in love with it as well.
Kiowa Bryan
National R(h)um Princess, SPIRIBAMKiowa Bryan hails from Vermont originally where she took her first job in hospitality nearly 20 years ago. It was in Los Angeles, while behind the bar at The Eveleigh, that she first tasted a Ti’Punch and realized her intended career path advocating for the education of all things Rhum Agricole and French Caribbean. She was the first ambassador of Rhum Agricole in the US and currently is in her third year as National Brand Manager for Spiribam Fine R(h)um Specialists. In her spare time you can find her listening to Christmas Carols far into February, or watching Yankees baseball while snuggling her dog Martinique Warrilow McFly.
Bridget Firtle
Founder of Owney’s RumBridget Firtle is a native New Yorker descended from a long line of Brooklyn based small business owners. Raised in Rockaway Beach, Queens with a once bustling speakeasy for a basement, she became enamored with the allure of spirits culture at an early age. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA in Finance, Bridget worked as a securities analyst for several years at a hedge fund where she developed a niche in global alcoholic beverage investing. There, she gained an even greater appreciation for boutique spirits, and for the revolution occurring in American distilling.
In 2012, inspired by history and a vision to bring rum distilling back to her hometown of New York City, Bridget made the leap from Wall Street and founded The Noble Experiment NYC, coupling her love of rum with her entrepreneurial dreams. Within the first year of operating the first exclusive rum distillery in New York in 90+ years, Bridget began receiving national recognition, including securing a spot on the coveted Forbes 30 under 30 list. Since then, Owney’s Distillers Reserve has been widely acknowledged and awarded for its quality within the food & beverage industry. Most recently, Bridget was named one of the Imbibe Magazine 75 people to watch.
Christi Crowe
Owner and Chief Creative Officer, FLAG MarketingShe is a creative industry executive with 30 years’ experience specializing in consumer lifestyle marketing. She’s an expert in finding your target audience, and helping them find YOU. Ms. Crowe’s company, FLAG Marketing, provides market development services for music, film, theatre, art, sports, fashion and entertainment. Christi is a cross-promotional campaign and strategic partnership crackerjack, establishing national and regional brand recognition for clients to create awareness and increase sales. She’s recognized for exceptional client relations, negotiation and mediation skills. She’s also known for her strong written and verbal communication skills, and her eye for talent.
FLAG Marketing clients include record companies, artist managers, concert venues, film studios, film and music festivals and specialty niche events such as the U. S. Rum Festivals, Tiki Oasis, The 1940s Ball and The Polynesian Culture Festival.
Linda Lofstrom
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTLinda has worked in the beverage alcohol business for over 25 years, working for large and small producers of beer, wine and spirits. Her interest in the industry started during college when she worked extensively in restaurants serving tables and bartending to support education costs. In her current role, with The Real McCoy, she is Regional Vice President of the Central and Southeast states. Linda’s responsibilities include working with the Constellation Brand sales team, launching new states, and educating consumers and retailers at numerous rum fests and events. Her passion is tasting consumers on barrel aged, traditionally produced rums and seeing their elation in the category.
The Real McCoy rum has won over 100 major spirits industry awards worldwide and is currently being distributed in more than 40 states in the US, as well as 23 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Jen Akin
RumtenderJen Akin is the GM, rum curator, and in-house mint whisperer at Rumba in Seattle, WA. She grew up in Lawrence, KS where she learned how to drive a stick shift on a John Deere tractor.
Rebecca Quiñonez
OWNER Q CONSULTINGWith over 20 years of experience in the beverage industry, serving in a variety of roles, including Global Brand Ambassador of Zacapa Rum for Diageo, Rebecca has worked for some of the most iconic luxury brands and category leaders in the world. With almost a decade of her time spent on developing the ultra premium rum category and expanding Zacapa Rum’s Global Footprint, she was instrumental in growing the brand from 17 markets to over 122. Rebecca brings tremendous insights from her time working with Master Distillers, Brand Ambassadors, Distributor Partners, Managing Creative Marketing Agencies and PR/Media Teams in the US, China and Latin America to assist new and developing brands deliver successful marketing agendas while strengthening their internal team capabilities.
Karen Locke
Founder, High-Proof PDXKaren Locke leads a team of creatives to provide the spirits industry with digital marketing and website development. Founder at HighProofPDX.com. Published in Bon Appétit, GQ, Thrillist, and more.
Karen Hoskin
CEO @ MONTANYA DISTILLERSWhen Karen began her craft rum distillery in 2008, she was the only female owner in a male-dominated industry in the US. She and her distillery have persisted in a very tough environment to become an undeniable success. Her company is known as one of the most environmentally sustainable rum distilleries in the world, recently becoming the first ever certified B Corp rum distillery. She also operates a 100 seat rum bar and restaurant with a view of her stills. Karen is known for training and mentoring women in distilling nationally, and she is the founder of The Women’s Distillery Guild, now part of Women of the Vine and Spirits. Her rums are sold in 44 states and 7 countries overseas.
Silvia Santiago
Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at Destilería SerrallésShe is Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at Destilería Serrallés, in Puerto Rico, rum makers of the island’s #1 premium rums since 1865. She is the first and only rum master blender in Puerto Rico, setting a precedent in a traditionally male-led spirits industry. Silvia has been with Serrallés for 45 years and has successfully maintained a healthy balance between her family and her passion for distilling Don Q, which she proudly calls the “best rum in the world”, blending its rich exceptional heritage with innovation to craft world class spirits, highly awarded and enjoyed across the globe.
Lacie Thornton
DISTILLER & ENTREPRENEURShe is a distiller at Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City, MI and has been tending the still since 2016 producing rum, whiskey, vodka, and gin. Prior to craft distillation, she earned a M.S. degree and worked as a marine fisheries scientist both in the field and in the lab, primarily focusing on shark research. She then traded the ocean for Lake Michigan and found a home in the craft spirits industry. Her lab background helped cultivate a meticulous and precise work ethic in all of her endeavors, both at the distillery and at home. On top of her distilling duties, she also volunteered at the 2018 ADI Craft Spirits Conference & Vendor Expo and intends to be as involved in industry events as much as possible. Lacie was an active member of the Steering Committee for the Ladies of American Distilleries prior to the inception of the Women’s Distillery Guild and is now Secretary of the organization.
Alison Bartrop
Rum aficionado, representative and passionate promoter.Australian by birth, almost Scottish by citizenship (with some stops along the way in Asia, the US and beyond).
Edinburgh based, I got into the industry by working in an old man’s pub. The most glamorous bottle we had was Balvenie Double Wood and it fascinated me, how flavor could be influenced by the use of another barrel. I started playing with liquids and thought it was the best experiment in the world. Each shift I got to be a bit of a mad scientist.
I moved into the food side of things for a while, then managed night clubs, bars, went back to what I know best which is marketing, then fell into a role as CEO of R. St Barth Agricole Rhum. I spent the best part of nearly 6 years bringing that to market globally.
Aside from that, I’m a dancer, surfer, and inquisitive adventurer.
Shannon Mustipher
Spirits Educator and ConsultantShannon Mustipher is a cocktail consultant, spirits educator, founder of Women Who Tiki, and author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails (Rizzoli/Universe), which won the IACP award for Best Book in the Beer, Wine & Spirits category. She also received the Tales of the Cocktail Pioneer Award in 2020, and was inducted into the Dame Hall of Fame.
Shannon’s writing, recipes, and unique perspective have been featured in publications like The New York Times, New Yorker, Saveur, Bon Appetit, GQ, Vinepair, Food & Wine, L.A. Times, Newsweek and more. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Christelle Harris
MARKETING DIRECTORChristelle maintains a management role in her family’s operations, spanning many industries including hospitality, gaming, retail, dry cleaning and rum production. She is proud to represent Hampden Estate and share the art and science of authentic Jamaica Rum with the world. She is driven by her passion of ‘Creating Hope, Changing Futures’ by work she does through her foundation, CHCF (Christelle Harris Charity Fund), focusing on empowering children in many communities across the country. She resides in Kingston, Jamaica and loves to travel.
Maryann Brinley
Co-Owner, Brinley Gold Shipwreck RumI am a writer, interviewer and editor with experience
producing magazines, books, articles and marketing
materials for corporate, non-profit, and academic institutions.
But my first love is our Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum
Company founded in 2002 on the island of St. Kitts in the
Caribbean. Yes, we are a nice, New Jersey family (Bob,
Zach, Maggie and myself) who turned into international rum-
runners. Zach is our fearless leader and chief bootlegger.
Makers of award-winning Brinley Shipwreck Vanilla, Coffee,
Mango, Coconut, Lime, Spice, White Rum Reserve and
Coconut Rum Cream, we fell in love with St. Kitts’ rich
history of sugar cane and more than a decade later, we are
still a hands-on operation, crafting all-natural, small batch
rums, promising always to the best-tasting in the world.
SUZANNE NAVARRO
Beverage Director @PonyUpI am a first generation Cuban American. I grew up in Miami, Florida traveling to the Caribbean as a child, and I have a taste for amazing food and drinks that started from a young age. I became a pastry chef at 19 while living in Manhattan. A few years later as I was making house-made syrups and garnishes for the bar team at the slanted door I decided to take my talents to the front of the house. My first bartending gig was in San Francisco at a dive…. that just happened to be a rum and punch bar. Lucky me! I have travelled around the world looking for inspiration, learning and absorbing everything to do with hospitality, the craft of bartending and of course the culinary arts. I got the tropical itch living on Maui. Since then I have dedicated my time to understanding and appreciating rum and its influence on modern society. I also love the Grateful Dead but do not like the band Phish.
Paola Medina Sheldon
Master Cellar and Master Blender Dos Maderas RumShe belongs to the second generation of the Medina family, which owns Bodegas Williams & Humbert. Paola is a native of Seville and she has worked at the company since 2010 and holds the position of the Technical Director, Winemaker and Master Blender since 2012. Previously, she has worked in ‘Cellar 14 Viñas’ in Ciudad Real, as well as other related positions since 1999. She has a Degree in Chemistry from the University of Granada, in Enology from the University of Cadiz and Masters in Viticulture, Enology and Legislation from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Florence Harel
Grays Rum Brand CoordinatorShe is born in Mauritius and is in charge of the Rum products’ development/ brand building, marketing and promotion at Grays Inc Ltd, especially for the brands New Grove and Lazy Dodo rums, on the local market and with the export department.
For 5 years now rum has been a passion and by attending Masterclasses, tastings, trainings and rum festivals around the world, Florence has had the opportunity to develop her network by meeting people in the industry and to learn about the international trends about products and packaging.
Samantha Barton
LEBLON RUM AMBASSADORI am of Trinidadian-American heritage and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. I bartended in college but never thought I liked alcohol much. That all changed when I was introduced to the beautiful art of tiki thanks to Paul McGee and Three Dots and a Dash. Opening Three Dots and a Dash was one of the most rewarding, exciting and educational experiences of my life. I spent weeks learning the history of tiki , the beautiful intricacies of over 250 rums, and ultimately I fell in love. The spirit’s versatility and ability to change people’s minds by understanding their palette drew me in. After three years, I moved down to Miami and landed a job at Remy Martin as the Mount Gay Rum ambassador for South Florida. After a while, I missed being behind the bar. So currently, in addition to being the Leblon Specialist for Miami, you can occasionally catch me behind the sticks at Better Days in Brickell.
I owe my bartending career to rum as it was the first spirit I fell in love with, and the one that I keep coming back to!
Suzanne Long
FOUNDER OF RUM ACADEMYShe is an international spirits judge, specializing in rum and cane spirits. As the founder of Rum Academy, she provides in-depth spirits training for bar and restaurant teams, as well as consumer focused educational seminars and tastings. With over 20 years of hospitality industry experience, her speed and efficiency training programs give FOH staff the tools they need to succeed in high volume craft cocktail environments. She also offers consulting for rum-focused bar and restaurant projects, backed by her experience building award-winning tropical and craft cocktail menus.
Trudiann Branker
Mount Gay´s Master BlenderA graduate of The Siebel Institute and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, Trudiann Branker possesses a strong academic background to which she adds over 11 years working in the spirits industry. Trudiann joined the Mount Gay team in 2014 as the Quality Assurance Manager. She followed the same path as Allen Smith within the distillery. In April 2019 Trudiann was appointed the prestigious role of Master Blender; she is the distillery’s and Barbados’ first female Master Blender.
Trudiann now shares the expertise and secrets of Mount Gay rums. Her capacity to understand the subtle balance between scientific precision and the instinct necessary for the production of rum is one of her greatest strengths, and she possesses a desire to create and explore new ideas. With her introduction and under her leadership, Mount Gay has embarked on a new chapter for the distillery’s rich history.
Mabel Cuevas Hernández
Cuban Master Blender CandidateI was born in La Esperanza, Villa Clara, Cuba. I’m a Chemical Engineer graduated from the Universidad de Central de las Villas. I finished my studies in 1996 starting my laboral life in the Ronera Central belonging to the Corporación Cuba Ron S.A. I have worked in this factory for 24 years, where I have worked in the production processes of alcohol, aguardiente and rums.
As part of my improvement, I have received training on alcoholic beverages production technology, quality management, safety, energy, the environment and technological innovation. In 2011 I graduated as a Master in Science and Innovation Management. Since 2014 I have been part of the Maestros del Ron Cubano Movement as a Cuban Master Blender Candidate, where I have acquired new knowledge in exchanges and scientific-technical meetings held, feeling very proud to remain in this movement.
Maria Caridad Portuondo González
Cuban Master Blender CandidateI was born in Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of Ron Ligero, the land of the richest traditions of light rum production transmitted from generation to generation. I am a chemical engineer, graduated from the Universidad de Oriente in 1996. When I finished my studies, I began to work at the Ronera Santiago de Cuba, where I have worked until today. During my training I worked in the different production processes: alcohol distillation, rum making, rum aging and bottling. I took courses such as: Process Management, Training of Internal Auditors in the Quality Management System, NC ISO: 9000 and others.
Currently I work as a specialist in Technology in the Operations Management of Ronera Santiago de Cuba, where I do planned technical audits; I methodologically guide the Technologists of the factories, among other functions. I’m a member of the Comité de Evaluación Sensorial de la Ronera. In 2013 I was selected to be part of the Maestros del Ron Cubano movement, in the Cuban Master Blender Candidate category.
Noemí del Toro del Toro
Cuban Master BlenderI was born in Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of Ron Ligero, land of colors and sun. I studied at the Universidad de Ciencias Técnicas (CUJAE), where I graduated from Chemical Engineering in 1980. My laboral life began that same year at Empresa de Bebidas y Licores. In 1996 I began to work in Ronera Santiago de Cuba (Corporación Cuba Ron S.A.) I worked as a Specialist in technological processes in the Department of Standardization and Quality Control and Technical Department, attending the technological processes in Distilleries. I have taken postgraduate courses such as Experimental Design, Food Technology, standardization seminars, Internal Auditor, European Diploma in Business Administration and Management. In June 2015 I was approved to be part of the Maestros Roneros Movement in the Candidate category and in September 2019 I was recognized as a Cuban Master Blender, having the honor of being the second woman with this title in the country and the first woman with this title in my hometown.
Isabel Cristina Rivero Páez
Cuban Master Blender CandidateShe was born on October 21, 1969 in the Villa Clara Province. She graduated as “Beverage and Liquor Technician” in 1989 and has a Sociocultural Studies Degree in 2011. Since 1991, she has worked as a Specialist in Technological Processes in the Food Industry, in the Ronera Cárdenas. She took courses on: Process Management, Training of Internal Auditors in the Quality Management System, NC ISO: 9000, Environmental Management Systems and Sensory Evaluation. She has collaborated in the development of products such as: Whisky Old Havana, Aguardiente Sao Can, licores Marca Cubay, Ron Perla del Norte y Ron Varadero. Since 2009 she has been part of the Movimiento de Maestros del Ron Cubano, where she currently works as a Candidate for Cuban Master Blender.
Maggie Campbell
Founder and Principal at Half Pint Co-CreationMaggie Campbell is a spirits, wine, flavor, and aroma expert with production and executive experiences in the global drinks industry. She is Founder and Principal at Half Pint Co-Creation and previously served as President of the spirits company Privateer Rum and is also a current Masters of Wine student. She was the founder of the Denver Brewer’s League, served two elected terms as Vice President on the Board of Directors of the American Craft Spirit Association and serves as their Spirits Judging Director. She is also on the Board of Directors of Resistance Served.
Yisell is from Puerto Rico, Mom to Maxine (8) and Samantha (5).
After getting her Bachelors of Science in Marketing and Business Administration from Bentley University in MA, moved to Miami and for the next 14 years worked for different Global advertising, public relations and digital marketing agencies, then created her own Consulting firm focusing on Experiential Marketing.
She joined the Don Q Rum family back in 2009 and moved back to Puerto Rico in 2017 with her husband, Marcel and family.
One of her proudest professional (and personal) achievements has been to be able to help share the island’s culture, heritage (and rum, of course!) and amazing local hospitality with the industry and hopefully beyond!
Marjorie Castel
FRENCH SPIRITS BRAND MANAGERI come from Paris, France. I have worked in the spirits industry for several years now for different companies and in different positions. I first entered the spirits world thanks to an internship in Marketing for the world-famous whisky brand Jack Daniel’s and since then, worked in International Marketing for a small artisanal Cognac brand, worked in sales for a leading alcohol distributor in France, was an ambassador in bars for the whisky brand Monkey Shoulder, and all those work experiences led me to where I am today : French Spirits International Brand Manager for Maison Ferrand (creator of Citadelle Gin, Ferrand Cognac and Plantation Rum). I am super passionate about spirits, I love going to bars to meet bartenders and try new flavor combinations, I also like to organize tastings at home with my friends. What I love most about my job is working on different spirits cultures, being creative about finding new ways to communicate on our spirits, having the opportunity to taste great spirits that all have a different story, meeting super passionate people from the industry who inspire me.
LAURA BAUGHMAN
BRAND DIRECTOR AT GOSLINGS RUMLaura has been helping the Gosling family market their line of premium Bermuda rums and ginger beer since 2011. After a year-long stint working in hospitality in Bermuda, Laura moved to Boston where she worked as a brand ambassador representing Goslings Rum in New England. Now in the role of Goslings Brand Director, Laura manages all US marketing initiatives, and has served as project manager for Goslings brand activations throughout the US, Europe, and in Oman. Laura is proud to work for a family-owned company dedicated to producing high quality, hand crafted rums with methods dating back to the 1800s. Originally from New Hampshire, she now lives in New York City.
Varia Dellalian
BRAND AMBASSADOR AT BACARDIVaria Dellalian is currently the Brand Ambassador for Levant at Bacardi Limited the Largest Privately held spirit company in the world. Producing and marketing internationally recognized several spirits and wines. She is responsible for Bacardi, Martini, Grey Goose, Dewar’s, Bombay and more brands that Bacardi will be launching soon. Focusing mainly on the JOHN DEWAR AND SON’S WHISKY EMPORIUM.
She joined in August 2014, handling various activations and launches; managing the portfolio training and advocacy programs for Levant & North Africa region.
Prior to joining Bacardi, Varia worked at several top establishments in Lebanon such as (Momo’s at the souks) where she met her mentor Kaled Darouiche and started to be more passionate about the cocktails and beverage industry and Central station one of the best cocktail bars in Lebanon; starting as a bar back and ultimately becoming head bar tender and mixologist. Her experience stems beyond Lebanon; in 2012 Varia was awarded as the champion of the Lebanese World Class Raising the Bar Competition by Diageo, she represented Lebanon at the Global World Class Raising the Bar Final 2012 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, qualifying for the second round, ranking 14th and winning the Retro Chic Challenge. She was also awarded as the Bartender of the year by Time Out Magazine in 2012. She has been invited to work as a Guest Bartender all around the world.
Varia is also the creator of Lebanon Bartenders Club group on Facebook to help the bartenders from Lebanon and all around the world to communicate share and exchange knowledge and experiences.
Audrey Hands
Havana Club Global Brand AmbassadorHalf French, half English, I grew up in London and started working in hospitality from the age of 15, gaining experience in this sector in London, Italy and Australia; I was fortunate to be able to combine my passions for travel (cultures & languages of the world) and bartending (working with ingredients and people at all times). After graduating in Hispanic and Portuguese studies in King’s College London, my interest grew vastly in Latin spirits, specializing in Rum and Tequila.
My expertise was strengthened when I joined Pernod Ricard in 2014 as a brand ambassador in Australia, the following year I joined Havana Club International to work on the brand internationally.
As Havana Club Global Brand Ambassador, I focus on building awareness of Cuban rum via communication, events and education, market planning and trade advocacy strategy. I´m working closely with bartenders and entrepreneurs in the industry, collaborating with bars around the world.
Felicity Gransden
Ron Colón Salvadoreño | Co-ownerI grew up in the countryside in England, my family had an allotment and we grew all of our own vegetables. I think this is where my love of food and fascination with flavour began. After graduating from university in London, I got a job in my local bar. This was mainly to cover my rent whilst I searched for something more long-term, however, a week after I started I found myself sat in a Havana Club training from Meimi Sanchez. Six years on and it’s still one of the best trainings I’ve ever had; it opened a whole new world to me. This set me on a path to research and understand as many spirits as I could, and build on my love of food and flavour.
A year later I left the bar to go and work with Belsazar Vermouth as their ambassador, still one of my all-time favoruite brands. This gave me the opportunity to understand the industry from the other side of the bar, and a few years later I moved to Berlin to work with Our/Vodka – a series of micro distilleries spread across Europe and the US. Through designing training programmes from the Berlin distillery, I became fascinated with the science of creating spirits, aromatics and flavour molecules. It was at this point I joined the team behind Ron Colón and began developing the recipe for coffee-infused rum from El Salvador.
Isabella Morales
Brand Manager Assistant of Ron CarúpanoI´m an Engineer working in Marketing, and in love with the Rum Industry. As Venezuelan, rum has always been a big part of my life, but working in the industry has made me appreciate every step of the way, from the creation of the product to the consumption. I’m Brand Manager Assistant of Ron Carúpano, a brand with more than 250 years of history. I proudly manage the Aged Rum Portfolio that includes three prestige presentations and aged rums of 6, 12 and 21 years. All the portfolio has won more than 40 awards worldwide,. My favorite way to drink rum is Ron Carúpano 12, a dash of lime juice, ginger syrup and a splash of soda.
Diana Jiménez
EXECUTIVE FOR BACARDÍ AND RON SANTA TERESAAs an Executive for Bacardí and Ron Santa Teresa, Diana Jimenez feels that every day is a celebration of her heritage. “Rum has a lot of roots,” roots that are very similar to her own. Diana is from the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Diana’s background makes her uniquely qualified for the role. 8 years of experience in the US market and possesses a closer look to Latin American traditions and culture, she started to work in the liquor field since 2007, with Bacardi USA traveling throughout the US and Canada. Now this experience starts her journey to look for more spirits that share an identity.
To start, she has an extensive background in public speaking – and public appearances – including eight years as a professional model. In addition, she was honored with the Miss Mexico title in the Miss Continente Americano competition.
If you talk about Rum and one of the biggest families in the category you have to talk about Bacardí, Mr. Facundo Bacardí, having a founder mentality, looking for innovation and recovering from struggles, was able to provide the world with: Ron Bacardí, and for Santa Teresa 1796 having the Venezuelan DOC (Controlled denomination of Origen) and being an Ultra Premium Rum with an unforgettable taste that makes the highly demanding palate, to crave for more. Her passion and dedication take you through the history and context of this amazing drink: RUM.
Carol Homer-Caesar
Angostura’s Master BlenderWith a background in Chemistry she joined Angostura Limited in 1995 armed with technical laboratory knowledge, which is fundamental when working with complex spirits and knowing the processes involved in creating rums. Carol was trained at the Alcohol School of Technology in the US and at the Scotch Whiskey Research Institute (SWRI) in Scotland. During this time, she also ventured into the sensory side of the rum blending process, carrying out sensory evaluations and chemical testing on the aged rums. She was also trained in brewing and distilling in the USA, which helped further develop her knowledge of the spirits business. She created the Angostura Rum Flavor Wheel for Angostura Rums which is highly specific to Angostura rum manufacture -Fermentation, Distillation, Ageing and Blending rum components which exude both flavor and aroma of Angostura rum blends.
Lucie Hlaváčová
BARTENDER“Since I was a student, I enjoyed working in hospitality. However I had never wanted to work in a bar. Life had a different plan for me. I guess it was my destiny and I ended up where I needed to be. I got an opportunity at RumHouse Bar Carribean in Prague. My love for rum could now fully develop. I devoted my time and energy to study and research. Over the years, I have tested over 1200 different rums. I am proud to say my knowledge is the result of my dedication and hard work. I got to the point where I wanted to share my passion and knowledge of rum with others.
This is the story of the beginning of my pink rum podcast ‘Rumeni’. In Czech ‘Rumeni’ means RUMart and my motto is ‘Let me be your guide through the art of rum’. I would like to take you on a journey to spark your interest and curiosity. I love exploring the world of rum and its neverending variety, where your taste and smell buds can get anything from the sweetest candy to the resemblance of a nasty nail polish remover. Variety you will struggle to find elsewhere in the spirits industry”
Christelle Treunov
Brand Ambassador HSESelf-starter, explorer, rum aficionado. Challenges drive me. I have been based in NY since summer 2019 to support HSE growth within the US. Even though I am only 23 years old, I have decided to enter the industry 5 years ago. I graduated from the wine and spirits management program at KEDGE business school in Bordeaux and have the WSET 3 in wine. I find in wine and spirit a certain type of unmeasured treasure – the beauty of transmission from a generation to another, the know-how and traditions combined with innovation. I also love how close spirit production and history are related. You learn about spirits, you learn about a country.
Koky López
RON DEL BARRILITO USA BRAND AMBASSADORI was Born and raised on the west coast of Puerto Rico; surrounded by the most majestic scenery, great surf and amazing Seafood. In my Family, Rum was saved for Sunday, as was the gathering around the Domino table, and later, the dinner table. Buried in a sea of loud conversation, this Sunday Rum seemed to be the only thing they all agreed on.
I discovered my love for Hospitality very early on, and I’ve been working behind the bar since 2000. I tried to cover all the bases; neighborhood joints, hotel bars, sports bars, themed restaurants, wine bars, craft cocktail spots; managing, menu designing, opening multiple concepts and even owning one. I eventually became a College Professor for Mixology in the Culinary Arts Department; and now I get to talk Rum for a living after landing my dream Job as The National Brand Ambassador for that “Sunday Rum”: Ron Del Barrilito.
Alexandra Alfaro de Molina
Corporate Marketing Director in Guatemalan Spirits (Licores de Guatemala)| I am a passionate marketeer & brand strategist. What moves me the most is driving value behind brands – whereas it is through an integral (re)positiniong strategy, powerful communication, 360 execution or an innovation. I began my career in marketing the soft drinks industry over 20 years ago in my native country El Salvador. During that time, growing interest in beverage companies in the Central American region brought international players in the arena. Hence, my career in the beer industry with SAB Miller began, spanning over 15 years and taking me from El Salvador to Panama. I was first introduced to the passionate and inspiring world of Rum in 2016, when I joined Varela Hermanos in Panama and managed Ron Abuelo, among other brands, on a global level. In 2020, on the verge of the global Covid pandemic outbreak, I joined Guatemalan Spirits as Corporate Marketing Director, now based in Guatemala. Our international Rum brand portfolio includes Ron Botran, our leading Rontastic Rum, as well as Ron Colonial (Miracielo) and of course, Ron Zacapa, co-owned with Diageo. |
Nicole Powell
MS. SWIZZLESTICKI have always grown up around tiki influences from my family, but when I turned 21, tiki took on a whole new meaning! At first, I enjoyed how fun and delicious tiki drinks were, but I became more serious about the art of the tiki cocktail when I started creating drinks for friends and family. I now travel to tiki conventions and explore multiple tiki bars from all over the world. I’m now quite the collector, too!! I enjoy my tiki mugs, swizzle sticks and tiki attire, not to mention all the great new tiki friends that I’ve met along the way!
Veruschka Santana
COORDINATOR OF TRADE MARKETING AT CASA BRUGALMarketing professional with a Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Cádiz Spain. More than 15 years experience of which 8 are in the area of alcoholic beverages. Currently Coordinator of Trade Marketing at Casa Brugal, a company founded more than 130 years ago more than 130 years ago which produces the best Dominican rum and manages a broad portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands, such as Macallan, Dom Perignon, Moet Chandon and Hennessy .
In my position I have among others the responsibility for the planning and coordination of the offers of two of our main products Brugal XV and Brugal Extra Viejo. Also coordinate the development and distribution of all visibility materials used in the points of sale. In addition, continually train the staff that gives the face to our customers.
Elizabeth Yabrudy
CERTIFIED SPECIALIST OF SPIRITSI am a Journalist and a Sommelier, Certified Wine Educator, and Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS). I have been in the Wine & Spirits business since 2009. Even when I mostly work with wine, I have a passion for rums, especially for Venezuelan rums. After obtaining the CSS title from the Society of Wine Educators, I wrote an updated segment on Venezuelan rum for the CSS Study Guide. My goal is to make people fall in love with our rums. For that reason, I also created a course entitled “A trip through the rum of Venezuela”, in which I make sure the participants get closer to our history, production areas, and Denomination of Origin, obviously tasting along some of our best products from different regions and brands.
Alexandra Salgado Colón
DIRECTOR RUMS OF PUERTO RICOBorn in Arroyo, Puerto Rico. Alexandra earned her Juris Doctor from the Interamerican University School of Law in 2011 and a BS in Communications and Advertising from the Sacred Heart University in San Juan. She has experience working as a Legislative Affairs, Civil law and Contracts counsel. In 2018 she began directing the Rums of Puerto Rico Program which promotes the sugar cane industry and provides the Puerto Rican rum brands with marketing, infrastructure and advertising incentives.
Angélique Jullienne
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR FOR MAISON FERRAND AND PLANTATION RUMBorn in Normandie in the hearth of the calvados region, Angelique has always been passionate by the hospitably and spirits industry. From a Bar Back position for Experimental Cocktail Group to her current role as Marketing and Communication Director for Maison Ferrand and Plantation Rum, her professional and personal experiences, and her curiosity have been driving her passion for the world of Rum for years. She has developed solid knowledge and interest for rum in its broadest way through its elaboration, its history, its terroir and its diversity. After multiple travels to lots of rum making countries in the Caribbean and South America, she has built a extensive network within the rum industry.
Rebecca Lassiter
Co-Founder and President of Lassiter Distilling CompanyShe is the Co-Founder and President of Lassiter Distilling Company, a family-owned and operated rum distillery in North Carolina. In their first 18 months, Lassiter Distilling has released 3 rums made entirely in-house (from molasses to glasses!), and all 3 rums have won at least one international award at competition. Rebecca and her husband, Gentry, are partners in life and business, and they are proudly raising two wonderfully fierce daughters, Emma Lee and Rose.
Cleo Farman
FOUNDER OF DIABLESSE RUMIn the 1990’s I was the Marketing Manager for Richard Branson’s Necker Island, I discovered my love of all things rum whilst taking press trips to the Caribbean at the time and it was amazing! After doing this I moved to Manchester and spent 13 years opening a group of successful bars: Odd, Oddest, Odder and the Blue Pig, during this time I got to know a thing or two about rum and really got to love it, that’s when I started wondering if I could possibly do my own brand…
After visiting the Caribbean and talking to many rum experts in the UK learning what to do and what not to do, I spent twelve months trying, tasting and blending many different rums to create my first two expressions, a Caribbean Rum blend: an aged golden rum blending rums from different islands and distilleries, and a Clementine Spiced Caribbean Rum. I then launched my very own brand, Diablesse Caribbean Rum, in February this year (2019): my ethos has always been to source quality, authentic rums of good provenance and then to blend them together to give delicious, and most importantly unique, flavour profiles. My personal mission is to tempt rum virgins, convert gin drinkers, enchant the connoisseur and get everyone to start drinking rum!
Karin Vonk
CO-OWNER AND MARKETING MANAGER OF RICHLAND RUMKarin and her husband Erik Vonk are the owners and founders of Richland Rum, from Georgia, USA. It all started with a desire to fulfill Erik’s boyhood dream: making authentic rum from home grown sugar cane. In 1999 Karin and Erik planted the first sugar cane on the farm where they live in Southwest Georgia. And what began as a hobby is now a full-fledged operation with a sugar cane farm and 2 award winning distilleries in Richland and Brunswick, Georgia, USA.
Richland Rum is an Agricole style rum, aged in new American white oak barrels for a minimum of 4 years and is distributed in the USA and numerous other countries. Richland Rum comes in five expressions, each barrel is bottled individually, there is never any blending. Richland Rum is pure, unadulterated, contains no additives, no preservatives, no added sugar.
As a farmer’s daughter, born and raised on a farm in the Netherlands and with many years of marketing experience working for large corporations, Karin is instrumental in the success of Richland Rum.
Now, 20 years later, Richland Rum has won multiple awards and was named “Best American Rum’ by Forbes Magazine in 2018.
Besides Richland Rum, Karin’s other passion is rescuing America’s wild horses, to which she offers sanctuary at Richland Estate.
Debora Tarozzo
FLOR DE CAÑA AMBASSADORBorn in Milan and based now in Brescia -“The magic world of cocktails ” all my life First from the Classic school , across the American Flair Bartending Style to the Sperimental & Creative Mixology – City of London , Costarica & Costa Smeralda some of the places where I worked.”Qué la sed de Ron siempre los acompañe” my life rule.
Lizaveta Molyavka
International bartender and speakerFormer of Middle Branch, Nomad, George Washington bar. Curator and ambassador of Margarita Express global pop up. Born in Belarus, Minsk. Based in NYC.
Took part in the numerous international competitions as Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition, Becherovka Bohemian Bar Club, Havana Club Cocktail Grand Prix, Olmeca Tahona Society, etc.
At the moment traveling around the world with educational seminars and guest-shifts.
Megan Lazar
BARTENDERSup, dude: two words you’ll invariably hear while in sitting on a bar stool in front of this California bartender. Meg Lazar, born on the West Coast, but a recent New York transplant, has been slinging drinks in the bars across the country for seven years. While she cut her teeth in fine dining establishments on the west coast, she found a love for tiki in New York. If you ask her what her favorite spirit category is, she’ll tell you, “Tequila is my wife, but rum is my dirty mistress who I much prefer.”
Travel is the name of the game for this one. Meg’s inspiration for cocktails stems from her love of products she has encountered while living in countries all over the world. While her love of tiki culture shines through, she never exactly treats these classics as set in stone employing techniques used from her fine dining background to elevate these rummy libations. However, at the end of the day, Meg will tell you, the cocktails are a small part of her job. “The most important aspect of bartending is making sure that when guest gets up from that bar stool, they are happier than when they first sat down.”
Carla Martinez Schettini
BRAND MANAGER AT DIPLOMÁTICO RUMAs a Venezuelan born and raised, rum flows through my veins. Rum is an important part of our culture, a tradition that is within our DNA, for me to work in this industry is a dream come true.
As a Bachelor of Communications, I am a very curious person and, after 5 years working in press and advertising, when I got my degree as an MBA I completely changed the course of my career and decided to start in the rum industry. I started as Jr. Brand Manager for the value portfolio at Ron Santa Teresa, managing brands such as Superior and Carta Roja. I currently work as Innovation Brand Manager at Diplomatico Rum, together with a great team for one of the most recognized rum brands worldwide and Spirit Brand of the year 2019. This incredible opportunity has allowed me to work on the design of new products and give life to high quality brands such as Canaïma Gin.
Rum has always been my favorite spirit. If you don’t like rum, it’s because you haven’t drink it correctly. 50 ml of Diplomático Mantuano, ginger beer, lime juice and lots of ice will make you change your mind forever!
Maelia Gellusseau
BRAND AMBASSADOR AT PERNOD RICARD SOUTH AFRICAAfter matriculating in France, I decided to further my knowledge of the English language by enrolling in an exchange program to South Africa. I then decided that it was time to peruse further education in the form of a tertiary diploma in wine and spirits in Bordeaux, which I completed in 2017. After receiving my tertiary diploma, I decided to return to Cape Town in search of further education. This is when I enrolled to complete a WSET wine and spirits certificate in 2018.
After multiple stints in Cape Town, I was looking for a company where my qualifications and skills could be put to good use, but most of all, I wanted to find a place where I could learn and grow as an individual.
And that is where my story begins in the rum industry. Young independent woman working for Pernod Ricard South Africa as a Rum ambassador. Rum always had a place in my heart, my parents used to go to the Caribbean island, so I quickly got a taste of this 50%vol rum served in a Ti Punch, a real kick in your palate!
My interest for this spirits started to grow quickly, I wanted to know more, not just about the spirits itself but the history behind each rums, Spanish, French, British style.
As a brand ambassador what’s amazing is that you don’t just talk about your brand, you tell a story, and by telling a story of the brand you represent, you have to start from its roots and for that you need to give a background of all the rums you can find in the world. And explain why they are different, so your customers can understand your product at a level that they will consume it not just for the taste but also for its history.
You want to get loyalty behind your brand ,and you will only get this result by sharing passion and love for your brand as well as the history hidden behind. So there I am, with the privilege to represent a Cuban Rum- Havana Club; a South African brand- Red Heart and an iconic Rum Liquor, Malibu.
Thia Brownsugar
SPIRITS BLOGGERMy name’s Cynthia Danel but on the internet, everybody calls me Thia Brownsugar. I’m from Martinique, where I discovered agricole rum very early on my life. At the beginning, I drunk rum during events or with my family. Then, I wanted to learn more about this spirit from my island. At the same time, I met Benoit Bail, founder of the biggest facebook group about rum: « la confrérie du rhum » and who I share my life with today. He took me under his wing and tought me main things about this alcohol and at the same time I decided to share the things I learned on a blog. So, I created “Rhum et Talons aiguilles”, a blog about the rum industry (production, tastings, bars…) and Benoit and me put together an event concept around rum of the same name which is exclusively for women. We managed to get together women to talk about rums and tastings, and enjoy this spirit.
María José Núñez
Global Brand Advocate at Ron Flor de CañaBorn in the ’90s, originally from Costa Rica and currently living in Nicaragua.
María José is a communication specialist with a background in filmmaking and marketing. Travel, explore new cultures and try new cuisines is her passion. She became part of Rum Flor de Caña, a Nicaraguan super premium rum awarded “Best Rum Producer of the Year” by the IWSC ’17. As a global brand advocate, she was able to create unique experiences and integrate new friends to the Flor de Caña family.
Christiane Silberwasser
PEDRO MANDINGA FOUNDERI have been in the drinks business since my husband and I opened our first Irish pub in Bogota, Colombia in August 2001 (www.thepub.com.co). The next year, we started Bogota Beer Company, which opened my doors to craft drinks production and began my journey to rum and creating Pedro Mandinga Rum, in Panama. We bought our pot still in 2011, but only started distilling in 2016. Pedro Mandinga’s distillery is in our brewery, La Rana Dorada, and it’s great to be able to piggyback on some of our brewing equipment for the distillery. My life is a bit active between Panama, Bogota and Miami. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I married into the Latin American culture and love how life is enjoyed with such an importance on community. I guess that is also why rum is so attractive to me. Other spirits are good for a quiet drink alone at home, while rum is “the spirit” to drink with friends.
Rossana Obregón
FLOR DE CAÑA MARKETING CHIEFAs a Nicaraguan, it’s a dream to be part of a company like Flor de Caña. Not only for what it represents to the rum industry but for its commitment to the environment, the community and the employees. My experience here has been enriched by a great team and our brand adventurous spirit. The same spirit that has taken me around and given me the chance to challenge myself into different cultures, environments and business areas. One thing I have learn when you want something is to always go for it and every time fight for it. I’m proud to be part of these women network that is rocking the rum industry, CONGRATS TO ALL!!
Susana Masis
MASTER BLENDER AT RON CENTENARIOI am a chemical engineer with 27 years of experience in the liquor industry. I also have an extensive experience in the food industry, implementing quality programs such as ISO and HACCP standards. I am the proud Master Blender of my beloved rum brand, Ron Centenario the rum of Costa Rica, and also I’m the Quality Control Assurance Manager in Centenario Internacional in San José.
One of my passions is to develop new products, create new experiences and ensure that our consumers enjoy our products. As Master Blender I have the responsibility of the blending area, aging warehouse and the purchase and logistic of Ron Centenario packaging and raw material, but also our international portfolio.
Off the record I’m a bird lover, so I’m always looking to get to know about this world and joining bird watch groups allowed me fulfilling this hobby with new adventures.
Dorothee Heriard Dubreuil
Director of Brand Marketing Mount Gay RumBefore coming into the spirits industry, I was working in a completely different world. I have a background in aeronautics and engineering and had a career in that industry before quitting everything to join the world of rum.
I’ve now been working in the spirits industry for 8 years, acquiring most of my experience in the US and France. I became the Mount Gay Rum Brand Director 3 years ago because I saw the potential for Mount Gay to become the leader of the fast growing, ultra-premium rum vertical.
María López
MASTER BLENDER JR FOR ZACAPA RUMSince I’ve studied my career, I always felt passionate about sensory evaluation and that passion brings me to be the Master Blender Junior for Zacapa Rum, in these 10 years in the Zacapa team develop a dedication for the processes behind the Rum. My job began in the intermediate blendings of making Zacapa Rum, and in these years I’ve learn and train my skills for reach to be the Leader of the final blendings and the last marriage of the final product that we deliver to the customer.
Mathilde de Ramel
Export Manager at Casoni DistilleryMathilde is an Italian-French blend. Her love for the art market brought her to the spirits industry at an early age. She started working at Bacardi-Martini as an off-trade assistant on the Martini plant in Italy. She was then hired by Rhum Clement (GBH Group) to become a Brand Ambassador. She helped develop the Agricole rum in Europe. At this period, she also supported Chase Distillery and Fentimans ltd. She became a sales rep for a spirits importer in the Netherlands, handling brands like Don Papa Rum, Worthy Park Rum, Marca Negra Mezcal, and Richland Rum. But she felt she was lacking the ‘’bottler side’’ of the industry, so she signed with By the Dutch to become an export manager. The company deals with Genever, Gin, and Batavia Arrack Rum.
Unexpectedly, a distillery from Mauritius reached out to her and asked her to move back to Italy to become a European area manager. Nowadays, among other responsibilities, she is helping Daniele Dalla Pola and Casoni Distillery to develop Alamea exotic infusions internationally. Last but not least, she was selected to be part of the international sugarcane spirits awards jury.
Sophia de Oliveira
PARTNER AND LEAD OPTIMIST AT GOOD MEASURESophia de Oliveira is hospitality professional with over 8 years of experience across the industry. She started her career at Benny’s Chop House where over the course of four years, she worked throughout the restaurant, eventually finishing out her time as one of the restaurant’s key managers. The wine and spirits knowledge she gained there made for an easy transition to behind the bar. Sophia built her skills at Osteria Langhe and moved on to manage the bar program at Cold Storage, later taking on the position of Lead Manager at Devereaux; Boka Restaurant Group’s rooftop cocktail bar at the Viceroy Hotel. After meeting her future business partner, Jeff Zappone, she signed on as Managing Partner at Good Measure, where she pioneered a bar and restaurant program that not only centers around great food and drinks, but also around creating an intentional and inclusive space for marginalized peoples to work and gather.
De Oliveira has been recognized locally and nationally, competing in cocktail competitions and contributing to trade publications. These accolades include: West Loop Shakedown Winner (2017,) Larceny Bourbon Chili Shoot Out Winner (2018,) Old Forester Old Fashioned Face Off Runner-Up (2018,) and one of Cocktail Portal’s Top Ten Bartenders (2018.)
At the heart of Sophia’s professional success lies joy. The joy of serving others and celebrating time with loved ones is what she facilitates daily within, as well as outside, the doors of Good Measure.
Katerina Rojas
ENTHUSIASTIC RUMKaterina Rojas, Speaker and Wellness Coach author of Inspiracion Positiva® is married to a Ronmelier @rum_and_spirits who has taken her to an unexplored world of aromas, flavors, textures and new experiences. Together conduct RONRONEAR® an event that goes beyond of a regular rum tasting, RONRONEAR is a well-balanced experience where the participants learn about rum and its manufacturing process, taste wonderful spirits and also have the opportunity to connect with themselves in a mindful experience while evaluate them with all their senses, besides are able to relate all the information about rum with an important area of their own lives, love, personal growth, resilience and more.
Welcome to RONRONEAR with Inspiración Positiva!
Lorena Vásquez
MASTER BLENDER AT RON ZACAPALorena Vásquez Ampié is the Ron Zacapa ® Centenario Master Blender. This woman is among the best specialists in this difficult field of work. For Vásquez, her work is more than a trade, a way of life. She prides herself on having one of the most rewarding jobs and has spent 34 years, her entire career, creating the best rums in the world.
Vásquez is Nicaraguan by birth. She is a graduate in Chemistry, Food Technology and Business Administration. She moved to Guatemala for family reasons. She began working in the Quality Control Department of Liquor Industries of Guatemala, where she developed her innate sensitivity to essences and flavors. In this way she began her ascending career within the company.
Her unrivaled passion for the art of rum production has guided her in her relentless pursuit of perfection, which has accelerated her career in a dizzying way. Today, she is one of the few women in the world who holds the title of Master Blender.
Vásquez is widely recognized for her contribution to the process that has made Rum from Guatemala one of the best rums in the world with a Protected Designation of Origin.
Dianne Medrano
GENERAL MANAGER AT RON CENTENARIODianne Medrano is a business expert with over 19 years of experience in the fast moving consumer goods industry focused on beverages. Alcohol, non-alcohol, traditional, non-traditional, on and off premise are all familiar. Her experience includes companies as Cervecería Costa Rica, The Coca-Cola Company, DIAGEO and right now works in Centenario International where she manages and represents brands for companies as Pernod Ricard and Heaven Hill. She´s had the opportunity of managing local and regional teams, acquiring an end-to-end business management knowledge of the beverage industry with the added value of how to create a new approach on being innovative and disruptive on an ever-evolving national and international business.
Stephanie Jordan
BEVERAGE CONSULTANT AT DRINKING OUT LOUDFrom London to Bogota, with a sip of Burgundy in between, Stephanie Jordan is the creator and professional powerhouse behind Drinking Out Loud – the luxury wine and spirits consultancy. Born in London to a British mother and Colombian father and raised in the Burgundy wine region of France, Stephanie had a unique cultural upbringing that sparked her passion for the drinks & hospitality industry. It also gave her the added bonus of having not one, but three native languages: English, Spanish and French. After graduating from business school, the Franco-Anglo-Colombian embarked on an 8-year stint at Diageo, the global drinks giant.
She started out on their graduate scheme in Madrid, where she held various roles across customer marketing and account management before joining the education & advocacy team – the role that really ignited her passion for fine drinking. Her years in the advocacy team saw Stephanie train hundreds of bartenders around the world, launch a bartender academy at the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid and roll out the Diageo World Class Competition to multiple countries.
Embracing her Colombian heritage, she then made the brave move from drinks giant to start-up, when she took the helm as Global Sales & Advocacy Manager for emerging Colombian rum brand, La Hechicera. There she immersed herself in the world of a growing premium drinks brand focusing on strategic marketing channels, managing the supply chain and leading their global distribution strategy setting the brand up for success on the growing global premium rum stage. With a wealth of experience in the global drinks industry, teamed with her creativity and a fire in her belly, Stephanie set up Drinking Out Loud to support premium drinks brands reach their full potential.
Ligia Velásquez
BRAND AMBASSADOR OF RON SANTA TERESAI´m a Venezuelan journalist and I have 7 years dedicated to gastronomy. I have worked in Bienmesabe (www.bmsmagazine.com) as editor in chief and director of that brand.
These days I have my own radio program Entre Sabores at www.fedecamarasradio.com , I produce content for my Instagram, and other publications, I’m preparing my own web page, I’m the brand ambassador of Rum Santa Teresa, and I’m also working in finch solutions as VP of marketing and communications. Although I’m a foodie, I don´t write about everything. I like to talk about good things, quality things, and information that really deserve to be share in my social media.
Dani De Luna
HOME BAR GIRLI’m Dani De Luna, a lady from Marin County, California living in Brooklyn, NY. At the beginning of my 20’s, I realized that living in California was like living in another country and decided to explore more of the good ol’ USA by moving to Birmingham, AL. I studied Music Technology at UAB, played in bands, started DJ’ing, and met some folks who were really into cocktails. I moved to New York to pursue music but like so many of us, found that I was far more passionate about learning how to make great drinks than I was playing in a bar til 4 am.
I’d been studying, making, and writing about cocktails for several years under the name Home Bar Girl when I stumbled upon the Tiki era and huge array of Rums used in those drinks. Instantly hooked, I dove all the way into Rum as a category and haven’t looked back since.
Yelitza Zuleta
BUSINESS ADVISOR AT RON SANTA TERESAThroughout my career I have belonged to companies of massive consume, however, I never thought that a company with a track record in Rum’s business and pioneer in my country, would be part of one of my passions. I’m a Social Communicator, mention Advertising and work at Ron Santa Teresa, a Venezuelan company with more than 220 years of experience, a company that takes out the chest in the face of adversity and raises the bar before any forecast. Together with this family, I work as a Business Advisor for the OFF Trade channel, taking Key Account clients, where we develop strategies to always give the best of us at the point of sale and offer the best quality products for our consumers. Working in this sector has allowed me to develop professionally and continue to grow throughout this time, always trying to improve ourselves and go further.
Adriana Gibbs
JOURNALIST / WRITER / BLOGGERHer vocation mixes taste with passion to know. This has governed her destiny for more than ten years, time in which she developed the source of wines, gastronomy and spirits in the pages of the magazine Estampas of the newspaper El Universal.
She currently runs the website www.adrianagibbs.com (Punto Paladar). She is a professor of the Diploma in Culture of Wine & Spirits at the Metropolitan University and at the Ávila Institute of Higher Studies, Author of 365 Wines. One for each day, from the Colombian publisher Legis, and from Soy Panadero, a tribute to the artisans of bread in Venezuela recently edited by Alumware.
Her certificates of origin are three: Social Communicator from the Andrés Bello Catholic University; Master in Social Psychology from the Central University of Venezuela; and graduated from the Diploma in Culture of Wine & Spirits (First Level and Second Level) at the Metropolitan University.
Miliana Morgado
STRATEGIC SOURCING LEADER AT RON SANTA TERESAI’m a Chemical Engineer specialized in Project Management. I lead the Strategic Sourcing for Finance at Ron Santa Teresa, Venezuela’s first brand of rum. I started my career in the operational side, where I learned about the essence of rum making, and unique processes with over 220 years of tradition. During this time, I developed and implemented continuous improvement tools to increase efficacy and quality while preserving tradition. Now as I lead, I identify and categorize SKU-level opportunities of costing reduction that can be competitively sourced. Working in this sector, has developed my passion for Venezuelan rum and its distinctive quality and taste.
Brynn Smith
BARTENDING PRETTY BLOGGERShe originally from a rural part of Washington state grew up loving nature and mixing as a kid making perfumes with flowers from her parents garden. Bartending for 8 plus years in Southern California. Brynn has worked at some awesome restaurants and bars all over Los Angeles. She has been written up in numerous publications and shares some of her recipes and the inspiration behind them on her blog Bartending Pretty.
Salomé Alemán
RONERA SANTA CRUZ´S MASTER BLENDERI was born in La Habana, Cuba. I am a Chemical Engineer in Food, graduated from the Universidad de Ciencias Técnicas (CUJAE) in 1988. When I finished my studies, I started working in Ronera Santa Cruz, the largest rum factory in the country, located in Santa Cruz del Norte, 50 km from the capital. It belongs to the Corporación Cuba Ron S.A. During the work training process, I was working in different positions in the
different areas of the factory as part of my initial preparation: alcohol and liquor distillery, rum and liquor manufacturing area, aging places and others. I took different courses such as training of auditors, management techniques, diploma in foreign trade and others. In 2010, I was invited to join the Movimiento de Maestros del Ron Cubano in the
category of Aspiring Teacher. After several years of preparation, I was recognized as Rum Master Blender in 2016, becoming the first woman to
with this title in Cuba.
Emily Gosling
GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR GOSLING'S RUMEmily Gosling was born in Bermuda and is a proud member of the Gosling family’s eighth generation. Emily joined Goslings as Global Brand Ambassador in 2016 after earning a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Emily possesses a sincere passion for the brand and has travelled around the world, providing customers with the opportunity to experience Bermuda through her family’s rums.
Emily enjoys meeting and engaging with people, and she takes advantage of every opportunity to share her family’s story. She was diagnosed with germ cell ovarian cancer while working for Goslings in the UK in 2019. Emily and her family experienced firsthand the difficulties and insights of cancer treatment and recovery, and she is so grateful for the kindness and support she received from the hospitality industry. It is her mission to help support patients and their families through her work with Goslings Rums. Emily believes that Goslings is the literal and metaphorical spirit of Bermuda, and she is dedicated to upholding her family’s legacy.
Erin Smolinski
GLOBAL PR SPIRITS MANAGERErin is the Global PR Spirits manager for the Campari Group, where she works on Appleton Rum. She began her career in music where she worked for nearly a decade on the media side, followed by another in fashion, working for international brands Diesel/DBG (Italy), Sandro & Maje (Paris), and Scotch & Soda (Amsterdam) prior to joining the Campari Group. She is a New Yorker who is passionate about PR storytelling, marketing, and media in spirits, fashion, music and lifestyle verticals. She is a runner, avid traveler, foodie and reader. She lives in Brooklyn with her miniature dachshund, Ruby.
Faith Xu
RUM ENTHUSIASTFaith is a homebar hobbyist and rum enthusiast. She manages a cocktail and spirit blog on Instagram (@BarFaith) that aims to break down the confusing world of spirits and craft cocktail recipes for the casual imbiber. She lives in the rum-tastic city of San Francisco, where she loves her tiki bar haunts and is thankful for the access to some spectacular rums. She began her rum journey in early 2017 and has not looked back, taking any chance possible to advocate for the much-misunderstood spirit.
Ingrid Robles
SPECIALIST IN TASTING AND SENSORY ANALYSISShe is Graphic Designer and Sommelier, specialist in sensory analysis, International Jury for Venezuela in the CINVE 2009 Competition (International Wine and Spirits Competition in Seville / Spain), Jury in the Best Sommelier Competition in Venezuela, Facilitator of the Venezuelan Sommelier Academy As a specialist in the area of Tasting and Sensory Analysis, Creator of WinetoneVzla ®, wine color identification system, which prepares the taster by expanding its visual register and tasting vocabulary during its performance, Diploma in Rums.
Aurelie Kalifa
Export Manager for Central and Eastern Europe of SpiribamBorn in Paris and spending my Sundays cooking in family I have developed really early a very French passion: the gastronomy. Growing up, wines and spirits were added on the table. When I turned 18 I had the chance to integrate a prestigious Business School in Bordeaux, paradise of any wine and food lovers. Then, I had the opportunity through my studies to live in England and Germany for several years. It was time for my second passion to confirm itself: travel and discover international cultures. Back in Paris I worked for a short time at La Grande Epicerie de Paris, the dream of any epicurean. But the universe of spirits was too far from my everyday life so in parallel I studied at La Maison du Vin to pass my WSET. It was time for me to start my current life as export manager. Today I have the chance to export 7 rum brands (Rhum Clément, Rhum J.M, Chairman’s Reserve, Admiral Rodney, Bounty Rum, Arcane and Beach House) from three different islands: Martinique, Saint Lucia and Mauritius.
Malvy Medina
SOMMELIERI was born in Caracas, Sommelier of profession. I graduated in 1995, I had the honor of representing my country in the competition of the best Sommelier of the world, in Rhodes, Greece 2007 and the best Sommelier of the Americas, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2009. I currently work as Sommelier in the Enoteca, Professor of the ASV and conducted private tasting. The preparation is complex to part know wine also distillates, coffee, cocoa, mineral waters and more. You can then specialize in the field that you like. My work is to guide the guest to taste and enjoy the cuisine and drinks, we are the medium linking producer to the end consumer, therefore the importance of knowing the methods of preparation and characteristic of each product, It is a world of knowledge and sensitivity.
Nadia Ludovic
Bar ConsultingI was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Since I was a teenager I learned how to make cocktails on my own. I graduated as an industrial engineer and I worked a few years in a laboratory. Later I decided I wanted to study gastronomy and I accomplished my goals graduating with Honors as an international chef. Cocktails and drinks are also an important thing inside the gastronomy’s world so I went to an academy to improve my drinks knowledge, for my surprise I ended in that academy as a teacher, after a couple of month I decided to participate in the Diplomático World Tournament and I won the regionals, after that I gained the respect of all the bartenders in Venezuela. I work freelance trying to impulse my brand as a mixologist teacher and bar consulting; I also represent some important rum brands in my country.
Andrea Martínez
Pampero & Baileys Brand ManagerShe is proudly the Brand Manager of Rum Pampero. Her entry into the world of rum was very unexpected but just right in time, as her personal purpose, she believes every one of us can put the bar so high as our dreams; Pampero is an example of that, therefore She fell in love with the brand. As the first aged rum in Venezuela, its founders seize the opportunity to create a rum of unparalleled richness and flavor- and they leveraged these conditions to create one of the most awarded Venezuelan rum of all time. Pampero Aniversario has won more Gold and Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition than any other venezuelan rum. “I’m very proud to manage a brand with such a great history and recognition all over the world, even sharing it unique brand character: passionate for life, deeply curious and independently minded”.
Veronica Yaber Scelza
Commercial Manager at Rones y Bebidas del Caribe – YazooShe was born in Caracas, Venezuela and now lives in the Dominican Republic, two Caribbean countries with a lot of prominence in the history of rum. Her family has been into the alcohol and rum industry for more than 25 years, reason why she grew loving this fascinating world of rum, which she has officially been part since January 2016. Nowadays, she is the Commercial Manager at Rones y Bebidas del Caribe – Yazoo, a company dedicated to aging alcohol and producing high quality rums, that are sold to different customers, both bulk or bottled according to each of their customers’ needs. Additionally, within Yazoo’s facility they have a Museum, where the rum production is detailed, and people can discover a collection of more than 520 bottles of rum from different brands and countries. The changing markets and different customers has involved Veronica into a constant learning about rums, brands and their markets around the world.
Victoria Egloff
RON CARÚPANO’S BRAND MANAGERAfter 5 years of working in Nestlé, Victoria decided to change to the Rum industry and is currently working as Brand Manager for Ron Carúpano, a brand with more than 250 years of rum history in Venezuela. She proudly manages the Aged Rums of Carúpano’s portfolio, that includes three Prestige presentations and blended rums of up to 6, 12, and 21 years of aging. All of Ron Carúpano’s Aged Rums, have received numerous international awards. Rum has always been her favorite distilled drink, and she prefers to drink hers strong, with ice, a bit of water and a twist of orange peel.
Jassil Villanueva
Master Rum Maker at BrugalShe is one of Brugal’s Maestros Roneros. Jassil is a member of the fifth generation of the Brugal family and is the first woman to become a Master Rum Maker in Brugal & Company. Jassil originally studied and gained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration before her sensory abilities were discovered by the family and she began her official training to become Brugal’s Maestra Ronera. Jassil has been part of Brugal from an early age, where she first learned all the details of rum production from the fourth generation of Brugal Maestros Roneros and her father who has worked in the company, before becoming a 5th generation Maestra Ronera in 2011.
Carmen López de Bastidas
MASTER BLENDER AT DESTILERÍA CARÚPANOCarmen is the Master Blender at Destilería Carúpano in Venezuela. She has been working in the Rum Industry for the past 28 years. She is married, has three children and three grandchildren. She is a passionate woman for her work and she really wants to continue working in this rum industry.
Joy Spence
APPLETON ESTATE’S MASTER BLENDERAppleton Estate’s Master Blender, Joy Spence, has the honour of being the first woman to hold the position of Master Blender in the spirits industry. In this role, Joy is responsible for creating new rum blends. Simply put, it is Joy’s job to ensure that that all Appleton Estate rum blends meet the high standards that consumers have grown to love and expect. Joy joined Appleton Estate as Chief Chemist in 1981 where her predecessor and mentor at the company, then Master Blender, Owen Tulloch inspired her passion for the art of creating rumblends. When Owen retired Joy was appointed the Master Blender in 1997. Over the last 20 years, Joy has created some of the finest rums.
Laury Zea Omaña
Brand Associate Flor de Caña in PanamáI was born in Venezuela, Maracaibo, a beautiful city with incomparable warmth, but i live in Panamá 5 years ago. My entry into the world of Rum was very casual and unexpected, an opportunity that I have not wasted a second, even it is my first time in the industry I have discovered that the world of spirits is full of great surprises, creativity and wonderful people. Currently I´m working as a brand associate of Ron Flor de Caña in Panamá, the most eco-friendly rum on the planet and with an inspiring brand philosophy which I share, my functions is planning and brand development in the On premise channel. At the same time I am responsible for creating the customer-brand relationship, offering the best deals, training the bar teams and developing strategies for product rotation. Magic happens when you enjoy what you do. There is always a good excuse to celebrate and better if it is with rum in hand.