In brief

Working at Rémy Cointreau since: May 2003
Current position: Sales Regional Director
Based in: DC/Maryland, USA
3 key skills to work in your team: Attention to Detail, Highly Motivated and Passion… Love What You Do!

Christopher’s testimonial: Regional Sales Director

What does your current role as Regional Sales Director entail?
My role includes the following: Wholesaler / Product Management; developing programming initiatives with our Wholesaler Partner, along with local RC Americas Team, that mesh with RC Americas corporate strategies; and developing / maintaining relationships with our Off and On-Premise Clients.
What I love best about my job are the great people I encounter – From my Team, to our Business Unit, to our Wholesaler Partners, to our Clients. I’ve had the privilege to work with so many great people, which keeps me motivated to attain and exceed our business objectives.

As we speak, our industry has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic for nearly a year. Can you share your business insights and your thoughts on the impact of the crisis on your team and your market?
While COVID-19 has had a significant impact to our Day-to-Day lives, we as a team have adjusted our business mindset based on the parameters, we now have to live in. Our approach has been a multi-pronged approach: Retail = Visibility (Live and eCommerce) / On-Premise = Virtual Consumer Activities and “To Go” Initiatives. This has allowed us to not only maintain our current consumer base, but also gain new consumers intrigued by the RC Americas Portfolio!

Joining and evolving at Rémy Cointreau

What was your background when you joined Rémy Cointreau?
Prior to my time at Rémy Cointreau, I was an Off-Premise Sales Rep in both Wine and Spirits for our Wholesaler Partner, Republic National Distributing Company. I also worked in their Purchasing Department. I applied to Rémy Cointreau as I was looking for opportunities to join an organization where I could make the most progression and maximize my skillsets for my business career.

“In 2017, I was given the opportunity to lead the Northeast US Division within Rémy Cointreau Americas. While there are many people I can look back on that lent toward my overall career development, Chris Deal specifically played a pivotal role in providing mentorship and council during my cross functional transition from marketing to sales/distributor management. As part of exemplifying the importance of development and mentorship with my team today, I always highlight the role Chris played in mine and I am now honored to do so with the greater Rémy Cointreau Organization.”
– Jonathan Worman, Vice President Business Unit Director Northeast

Which positions have you held since you arrived at Rémy Cointreau? How did these evolutions take place?
I started at Rémy Cointreau as a Cognac Specialist, and worked up to Market Manager, State Manager, and Regional Manager / Director roles, while also working on our Retail National Accounts Team.
My most challenging move was when I was promoted to a Regional Director role in Texas. In my previous Regional Director roles, I managed a very small team, while the Texas one was rather large. I really struggled with this role as I was not yet ready, from a People Management standpoint. What I learned was that you are not managing “People” as much as you’re managing “Personalities”. I was able to take a step back and take a role on our Retail National Accounts Team, which not only allowed me to learn more from a “Data” (Selling with Numbers) perspective, but also allowed me to watch others and how they manage people. This was very eye-opening for me and really allowed for me to grow in multiple aspects and I am very appreciative that Rémy Cointreau gave me the opportunity to do so!

Building a 17+ years career with us

In more than 17 years, you’ve witnessed many changes within the company. What is the most interesting change in your opinion?
Again, I’d have to say the change in people (Teams). What I mean is while we’ve had people come and go, Rémy Cointreau does an excellent job of bringing in Highly Talented, Passionate, Self-Starters, which has kept the company at a high level of performance.

On the contrary, what remains unchanged and what do you think is special about our group?
What has always remained a special quality at Rémy Cointreau is that our Senior and Executive Leadership listens to our feedback and supports us with the necessary resources based on that feedback. The fact that you can work for an organization that listens and implements that feedback into the brand strategies is a quality that is not found in most companies the size of Rémy Cointreau.

What advice would you give to a candidate wishing to join Rémy Cointreau in the sales team?
Very Simple – Be ready to work and work hard, but also be ready to feel appreciated and valued!