Elevated Spirits announces senior leadership team appointments for Cierto Tequila
The Elevated Spirits Company - producer of the 100% natural, additive-free Cierto Tequila portfolio – has announced the appointment of its senior leadership team of seasoned industry executives, with decades of collective experience leading premium global beverage businesses.
Ami-Lynn Bakshi, a 28-year spirits industry veteran with extensive senior executive experience in both the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors, will join as Chief Executive Officer of Elevated Spirits. Bakshi, a 21-year Diageo alumna, brings a depth of experience within premium agave spirits. As Vice President of Marketing for Tequila, she led the world’s largest tequila trademarks to breakthrough growth within a highly competitive and rapidly growing segment. As Vice President of Innovation for North America, she led the development and delivery of Diageo’s multi-year innovation platform. Most recently, Bakshi co-founded and led two successful new ventures in beverage alcohol.
At The Elevated Spirits Company, Bakshi will be charged with spearheading the continued expansion of Cierto Tequila, which the company claims is ‘the most awarded tequila in history, which recently became the first tequila to exceed the unprecedented milestone of 750 international accolades, with 762 medals and awards to date.’
Rounding out the leadership team are Jim Ruane – Chief Growth Officer, a former Diageo Vice President who spent 10 years leading some of the world’s largest, best-known and fastest-growing premium spirits brands, in addition to serving as a venture-brand board member; Laurence Wolfe – Chief Operating Officer, who led end-to-end supply chain operations for Heineken USA as Chief Supply Chain Officer and for Pernod Ricard Americas as Head of Supply Chain, before joining Acreage Holdings as Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain; and Neal Simons – Chief Financial Officer, who led Glanbia Performance Nutrition’s North America finance function as well as corporate transformation initiatives as Vice President.
The leadership team also includes Tony Spinelli – Head of Sales, whose 24-year beverage career includes 16 years with Diageo, most recently leading programming and relationships with its largest customers as Vice President of Strategic Accounts; Richard Booth – Head of Distribution, who led one of Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits’ top markets as Vice President, General Manager South Florida for 35 years and also served as President of Drake’s Organic Spirits Company; and Ken Ruff – Head of Strategic Accounts, On-Premise, who held several executive sales and strategic positions with Beam Suntory during his 35-year tenure, most recently the Vice President of National Accounts, On-Premise.
