Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/581407
october 2015 / the tasting panel / 1 19 them to spend a bit more, I'm sure their decision will delight them. It's no different than getting a bonus can of tuna or a better value on strip steak." Langone's professional role model is Laura Sen, the much-revered CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club. "It's going to sound like I'm trying to keep my job, but it's genuine!" she laughs. "She's easy to talk to, asks questions, is the first to congratulate you when you're promoted, the first to give you a note on your desk about whatever successes you've had. She can do whatever she wants, but chooses to take care of her team and our members first." Given her responsibilities at work, Langone and her husband decided it was best for him to be a stay-at-home dad when their daughter, who is now 16, entered junior high. "Being in retail is tough as it is, and wholesale is extra-concerned with margins and efficiency," says Langone. "If I do have to go away for long periods of time, I take off a few days to spend with my daughter first. When she was younger I'd talk on the phone and record books for her ahead of time. Now I'm lucky if I get a text from her!" she laughs. "But I've never missed anything important. BJ's is very good about that. On the flip side, this is sales, and you have to get your job done." Langone is candid about tending to a marriage with the responsibilities of children and an executive-level position. "Certainly the marriage is more difficult [to prioritize] than child-rearing. But we're starting to see that light at the end of the tunnel. We know we're going to be empty-nesters, so we ask each other, 'Who are you again? What did we do 18 years ago?' I'm glad we're starting to have that conversation now." About Women of the Vine ® Women of the Vine is a membership-based alliance that empowers and equips women worldwide to advance their careers in the alcohol beverage industry, fostering gender diversity and talent development across the industry at large. The Women of the Vine Global Symposium is scheduled for April 4–7, 2016 in Napa, CA. For more information, visit www.WomenoftheVine.com.