US wine group The Duckhorn Portfolio has named WX Brands executive Jeff Ngo as its new chief growth officer.
Ngo, who is set to join the private-equity-backed Duckhorn at the end of the month, will succeed Lisa Kislak, who has been the company’s fractional chief marketing officer since September.
In his new position, Ngo’s remit will include brand marketing, trade marketing and DTC operations, the Sonoma-Cutrer brand owner said.
In a statement announcing the appointment, Duckhorn said Ngo has more than two decades of experience in brand management, with a “proven track record of success in the CPG industry specialising in wine”.
He joins Duckhorn following his tenure as chief commercial officer at WX Brands, where he led US sales, marketing and DTC operations for the US company’s national wine portfolio. Ngo was senior vice-president of marketing at WX from 2020 to 2023.
Before joining WX Brands, Ngo worked for Jackson Family Wines for more than seven years.
Commenting on the appointment, Ngo said: “I have watched the company evolve and grow over the years into one of the most enviable portfolios of luxury wineries in North America. From Duckhorn Vineyards to Decoy, Kosta Browne to Sonoma-Cutrer, this role is a wine marketer’s dream job.”
Alongside Ngo’s appointment, Duckhorn appointed Nihar Bhatt as its new CFO from yesterday (14 April).
Bhatt succeeds Jennifer Fall Jung, who “looks to return to her public company roots”, Duckhorn said. Prior to joining Duckhorn, Bhatt was CFO at Toms Shoes.
Duckhorn CEO Robert Hanson, a former Constellation Brands executive who joined the wine group in January, said: “Having worked with Nihar in the past, I know he brings a proven track record of driving value creation, leading teams, driving change and creating efficient and effective processes.
“Jeff is an inspirational, collaborative leader, team builder and strategic thinker with impressive experience in driving growth within the wine industry.”
Hanson added Duckhorn’s “goal is to be the undisputed leader in American luxury wine, with a curated, comprehensive portfolio of growing and profitable winery brands”. He added: “Nihar and Jeff will be instrumental in helping us achieve this goal.”
Last month, the Decoy brand owner appointed two drinks industry veterans Tom Flocco and David Klein to its board of directors.
Owned by private-equity firm Butterfly Equity, Duckhorn operates 11 wineries, ten winemaking facilities, eight tasting rooms and manages over 2,200 acres of vineyards across 38 estate properties.
The company’s portfolio includes brands such as Kosta Browne, Calera and Postmark.
