The CEO of the US wine producer Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Ted Baseler, will retire on 1 October after 34 years with the company. In his 17 years as CEO of the seventh-largest wine producer overseas, 64-year-old Baseler had increased the profit from 21 million US dollars in 2000 to 146 million US dollars in 2017. His successor will be Jim Mortensen, until now vice-president at the cigarette manufacturer Philipp Morris International. He previously worked for the Miller brewing company.
Baseler began his career at the company in 1984 as marketing director. The wine brands he built up include Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Crest, as well as modern labels such as "14 Hands" and "Eroica". He entered into joint ventures with top European producers, including Piero Antinori, Ernst Loosen and Miguel Torres. Together with Antinori, Baseler bought the Californian cult winery Stag's Leap Wine Cellars for Ste. Michelle.
(uka)