USA – Leading ultra-premium spirits and wines company, Stoli Group, has made significant leadership changes in its business, appointing CFO Chris Caldwell to replace Damian McKinney in the role of global CEO.
Artem Pozdnyakov has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer, and Mark Federighi to President North America. These strategic appointments reflect Stoli Group’s commitment to building a strong and dynamic leadership team.
With his extensive experience in the spirits industry, Caldwell is poised to lead Stoli Group into a new phase of success.
He has been an integral part of the company’s executive team, previously serving as Stoli Group CFO for three years. During this time, Caldwell demonstrated exceptional strategic and financial acumen, contributing significantly to the company’s growth and development.
Caldwell’s extensive career includes leadership positions in private equity, PLC, cooperative, and consulting businesses worldwide.
He has successfully transformed organizations, improved performance, and created significant shareholder value.
Before joining Stoli Group, he played a pivotal role in turning around the PE-backed Enotria & Coe, a prominent UK beverage business, and driving its profitability. Caldwell has also held senior positions at Americana Foods, Fonterra Co-Operative Group, and Diageo PLC, along with running his own consulting business focused on transformation projects.
Meanwhile, Artem Pozdnyakov, who joined Stoli Group in 2022, brings a deep understanding of mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, treasury, and corporate finance. He is well-versed in managing liquidity and markets and has a strong background in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies.
He has worked as CFO at DTEK Renewables International and as a board member of the Dutch holding companies, Pozdnyakov.
For the appointment of Mark Federighi, a seasoned leader in the spirits and wine industry, the company said in his previous role as Chief Sales Officer at O’Neill Vintners and Distillers, Federighi played a vital role in driving the company’s growth and expansion efforts, resulting in a significant increase in revenue.
With his bottom-line results-oriented approach, he will oversee Stoli Group’s sales, marketing, and operations in North America
Yuri Shefler, Stoli Founder and Owner, expressed his confidence in the new leadership team, stating, “Chris has consistently demonstrated the strategic and financial acumen necessary for today’s CEO role. With the continuity provided by Chris and Artem, Stoli Group will continue to diversify through acquisitions and brand expansion. We are excited to have Mark join them in supporting our aggressive growth goals.”
Established in 2013, Stoli Group, which spans over 176 markets worldwide collaborates with a network of 200 distributors.
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