US-based Willamette Valley Vineyards has appointed Michael Osborn, the founder of Wine.com, as its new CEO.
The appointment follows the company’s founder Jim Bernau’s decision in January to step back from the CEO role while continuing as president and chairperson, as part of a planned succession strategy.
In a statement published yesterday (12 May), the Oregon-headquartered winery said the appointment is effective immediately.
Bernau said: "As the wine market continues to evolve, we need the added horsepower of a new CEO grounded in the industry's business side to accelerate our momentum.
“Mike brings visionary leadership, a deep connection to Oregon, and the sales and marketing experience to invigorate our brand with distributors, retailers, and restaurants across the country and globally.”
Osborn founded Wine.com in Portland and built it into a “leading online wine retailer” in the US over the past 27 years, Willamette Valley Vineyards said.
In the statement, Osborn said he will “work with the team to elevate the winery's national and global presence while remaining rooted in the people and places that make Oregon wine distinctive”.
Founded in 1983, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from 15 acres of vines in the Salem Hills of Oregon to more than 1,000, producing over 260,000 cases annually.
It manages several estates, including the flagship vineyard in the Salem Hills, Domaine Willamette in the Dundee Hills, Tualatin Estate near Forest Grove and Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills.
The winery employs more than 350 staff, including more than 40 managers overseeing operations across ten tasting rooms in Oregon, south-west Washington and California.
For the year ending 31 December, Willamette Valley Vineyards posted net sales of $39.8m, up 1.7% from the previous year.
The company’s net loss narrowed by 90.2% to $117,894 compared to the prior year. It attributed this improvement to higher gross profit, driven by increased sales revenue and improved margins, though higher interest expenses in 2024 partially offset these gains.
Gross profit increased by 7.3% year-over-year, reaching $24.2m.
