Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/44136
COVER STORY and, because of him, this thriving, state-wide selling division materialized into what it is today." —Jack Brennan By the time Patrick Daul was recruited to work at Southern Wine & Spirits in the early 1990s after stints at Gallo, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Chateau St. Jean, the Northern California office was not only up and running, it was also experiencing momentous growth with the addition of many valued supplier brands. After a "tap on the shoulder" by Jack Brennan in 2002, Daul faced an excit- ing, new challenge: "I was assigned to build a new selling company from the ground up for the Diageo and Moët Hennessy portfolio. It had to be accomplished in a month—and, miraculously, it was." Daul, who by then had broad experience across the entire SWS-CA division, put his sales team together in the north while Steve Slater—a senior Southern sales execu- tive based in Los Angeles—gathered troops in the south. Suddenly, Pacific Wine & Spirits came to life. "The vision was for us to create a dedicated sales team," Daul states. "It was unusual at the time, and this con- cept was a tightly knit package wherein the sales force and the supplier were closely tied, enabling information dis- seminated from the team to the streets to come with one voice." With many of the most recognized brands in their book—some of which had been with the competition for decades—Pacific Wine & Spirits learned not only how to compete against outside distributors, but also how to grow on the other side of Southern Wine & Spirits. "We took feedback not only from the brand owners, but also mirrored and adopted best practices from companies outside of our industry. Pacific is lean, streamlined and adept at focusing on developing brands," added Daul. James Bradney "I was mentored by many accom- plished, current Southern leaders who gave me wise direction, so, in turn, I could make intelligent decisions." ─James Bradney Energy exudes from James Bradney. Like the majority of those who work for Southern, he loves what he does. For him, being part of Southern Wine & Spirits is a dream come true—but with still more opportunities ahead. Even years before he worked for the company when he was a grocery store territory manager for a competing wine supplier, he had his sights set on the distribution side of the business. "I like competitiveness," says Bradney, who never disguises his enthusiasm for the business. "On the distribution side, you could win or lose, but you always knew right away when the wine business, and I wanted to work for Southern." James Bradney, VP/General Manager, SWS of Southern California. you were successful," he says of the rush of gratification accompanying a sales goal achieved. Although leaving the wine business was a difficult decision, Bradney looked for greener pastures and landed a job as Orange County Sales Manager for PepsiCo in 1997. The company was located not far from Southern's office in Cerritos. "The Coke versus Pepsi concept was the ultimate day-in and day-out battle," Bradney says with a smile. "I learned a lot about on-premise, operations, warehousing and routes. But I missed The segue worked. He left Pepsi to work for one of Southern's biggest suppliers at the time: Schieffelin & Somerset. "For over four years, I got to know the folks at SWS. I became enamored with the company's unique culture and legendary executive talent. So when the opportunity arrived, I knew it was the only place I should be." Bradney defines the culture of Southern as teamwork and camara- derie. "When you walk into the building, you're always around people with admirable knowledge and skillsets. For me, I was mentored by accomplished individuals who gave me direction, so in turn, I could make intelligent decisions." Hired as a Chain Account Executive by Brad Vassar, Bradney worked under the guidance and mentor- ship of Steve Slater, who was then GM of SWS of Southern California. Slater now oversees SWS-A's fine wine supplier relationships nationally as the EVP/ General Manager, Wine Division. Bradney's capabilities were further enhanced when Jack Brennan took him under his wing. "When Jack became state-wide GM in 2005, he was determined to interact with every chain customer and buyer. Together, we called on Costco and Trader Joe's. We traveled outside of California to make customer headquarter calls, and then he gave me the opportunity to manage the Chain Division. Jack is really the most talented salesperson I have ever known, and we were a team from day one." In a matter of time, Brennan and Slater created a new position of General Sales Manager for Southern California. Bradney was a match. "I was honored that they entrusted me with a position that didn't exist up until that time," said Bradney. His task, among other goals, was to develop and train sales people, creating a october 201 1 / the tasting panel / 49 PHOTO: GEORGE PHAEDON