Why Ethica Wines?
Our name “Ethica Wines” means we have an unyielding moral compass. We are transparent with our partners. We believe in fair trade. We give honest and trustworthy advice. We create strong relationships with customers thanks to a set of shared values. We provide a positive work environment for our employees. And we are respectful of the producers with whom we work.
Team
Aldo Di Filippo
Regional Sales Manager Pacific
Aldo was born in the Italian region of Abruzzo but raised in a small town in the province of Ascoli Piceno (in the region of Marche). His career in wine began in his early 20s when he worked for a leading wine and spirits distributor handling over 1,800 labels from around the world. Over the last 18 years, he has traveled extensively throughout various wine regions (Italy, France, Australia, and New Zealand ). He also worked a harvest at Auntsfield Estate (Marlborough, New Zealand) in 2019, an experience that expanded his growing knowledge of New World wines. He has completed Italian Sommelier Association certification levels I and II and is currently studying for his WSET level 3 certification. With Ethica Wines since 2021.
Alessandro Angelini
Compliance & Credit Manager
Alessandro Borghi
Trade Marketing Specialist - USA
Alessandro was born and raised in Veneto. His academic studies first brought him to Piacenza where he studied Viticulture and later to the Business School of Bologna to study Food and Wine Management. During the last years, he worked in the micro-vinification winery at the Mach Foundation in Trento, and he had the chance to visit Chile while working the harvest at a winery. To further enhance his knowledge of the wine industry he obtained his WSET 2 certification and attended the Alta Scuola del Sangiovese courses. For him, wine is a continuous exploration and ongoing adventure where he has the opportunity to merge his knowledge of both the technical side of viticulture/ winemaking and those of his management skills acquired. With Ethica Wines since September 2021.
Andrea Pucci
Sales Area Manager - OR, WA, AK, MT, ID
Andrea Vescovi
Regional Sales Manager Western Canada
Angelina Rosa
Logistics Specialist
Ariela Di Marco
Sales Area Manager - South & West Florida
Ariela was born in Voghera, a small town near Milan, Italy. She grew up between Lombardy and Piedmont Regions and lived in a few places worldwide before landing in sunny Miami. After graduating high school, she moved to Milan where she pursued her studies in Visual Arts and worked for several Italian TV and Advertisement Agencies as a video maker and in the production and camera departments.
After 7 years in the TV business, she headed to Rome where her career veered towards event planning and marketing. While there, she completed a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication, she began working as an event and marketing manager for a local agency. Her passion for the Italian Food & Wine industry and desire to expand her horizons lead her to give the US a go. She headed first to NYC, then Washington DC, and Dallas, TX where she spent several years promoting and developing Italian brands in these territories. With Ethica Wines since 2023.
Beatrice Cataldo
Logistic Specialist – USA & Canada
Benjamin Burke
Sales Area Manager - Colorado
Carolina Cossu
Director of Sales - South Central & South East
Damiano Sorato
VP of Sales - On-trade
Daniele Carli
Logistics Italian Team Manager
Dario Bergamini
Regional Sales Manager Japan
Delphine Constantin
Regional Sales Manager - Quebec & Atlantics
Diego Todone
Regional Sales Manager Southeast Asia
Elisa Calvello
Head of PR and Communications
Erica Eliskases
Logistics Specialist – USA & Kirkland Signature
Filippo Pasini
Logistics & Purchasing Assistant
Filippo was born and raised in the charming town of Soave, Veneto. His journey began alongside his family, managing an esteemed ice cream parlor renowned for its quality, earning several national and international awards.
Transitioning to the role of Floor manager at Enoteca Realda in Soave (our dearest Anselmi’s Enoteca), Filippo delved into the world of wine. His path, then led him to 'Cantina Anselmi,’ where he explored various facets of the wine industry, immersing himself in the marketing, administration, and even contributing to the winemaking process. Eager to broaden his expertise, Filippo aspires to take a sommelier course, to deepen his knowledge.
Fueled by his fervor for travel and viniculture, Filippo took on this opportunity to join Ethica and his aim is to add value to the company with his skills and determination.
Francesco Ganz
Chief Executive Officer North America & Asia Pacific
Frank Mirenda
Sales Area Manager - Wisconsin
Frank was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through his veins flows an authentic blend of Sicilian and American roots, enriched by the timeless tradition of winemaking. His family's legacy is intertwined with the art of crafting wine, a tradition that found its earliest expression in the cellars of his great-grandfathers' homes. Both Frank’s father and grandfather dedicated themselves to the Wine and Spirits industry for over 80 years and these familial foundations instilled in him a profound appreciation for the finer aspects of life.
Culinary excellence was another cornerstone of Frank’s upbringing, owing to his family's ownership and operation of the renowned Palermo Villa—an Italian restaurant that operated in Milwaukee for over four decades.
His journey within the industry started in 2006, when he moved to Napa Valley with his father, who served as the National Sales Manager for Mario Andretti Winery, here is where Frank embraced a pivotal role. Over three harvest seasons, he embraced the production realm and learned all aspects of winemaking process including selling and educating consumers.
Upon returning to Wisconsin, in collaboration with his father, Frank established their own wine distributorship company, with a strong nine year run by selling Californian and Italian wines.
Frank is beyond excited to start this new chapter with Ethica Wines where he looks forward to furthering the exceptional portfolio of wines thanks to the ten years of experience in sales and the strong relationships he built in this market.
Gabriela Bakotova
POs & Invoicing Specialist
Gianluca La Venuta
Director of Sales - Northeast
Giovanni Favella
Key Account Manager - Off Trade Central Region
Giovanni was born in Trieste, Italy. He had the opportunity to spend multiple summers in the United States before making the decision to permanently move there. After graduating from high school there, he embarked on a career in the hospitality industry. During this period, Giovanni attended numerous courses offered by the A.I.S. (Association Italian Sommelier) and the A.I.B.E.S (Association Italian Bartenders and Supporters). Following nearly two years in Venice, he returned to his hometown to work for a regional distributor specializing in wine, beer, and spirits.
In 2016, Giovanni started working in Aspen, where he worked as a sommelier in a renowned Italian restaurant. During this time, he continued his pursuit of wine studies with the C.M.S. (The Court of Master Sommeliers) and he enrolled in a certificate program for 'Food & Beverage Management' at Cornell University to enhance his skills. At the end of 2021, Giovanni relocated to Houston, TX, where he assumed the role of beverage director for an Italian restaurant group. Subsequently, he transitioned back to the distribution side of the industry, serving as a sales consultant for one of the leading distributors in the United States. He considers joining Ethica a wonderful opportunity for his career as it gives him the opportunity to work with something he truly loves: ‘not just wine, but Italian wine.
Giovanni Lossi
Sales Area Manager - North California
Giovanni Oliva
Sales Director - APAC (founder)
Giuseppe Blanco
Director of Sales - Midwest
Hailey Beike
Trade Marketing Specialist APAC
Hailey was born and raised in an exotic city called Urumqi, located in northwest China. After completing her bachelor's degree in bioengineering, she went to France to study plant biology in 2010. Among a variety of plants, she finally was attracted by these beautiful and winding grapevines. From there on, the journey of learning grape planting and winemaking had started.
In 2014, after finishing two-year wine cellar work in Paris, she returned to China and joined the leading French exporter Les Grand Chais de France to engage in customer maintenance and marketing analysis. During this period, she provided solid reliable market support for the company and improved customer loyalty through customer wine training, events, and promotion plans. In 2019, as the ambassador of Howard Park, a five-star winery in Western Australia, she broadened its sales channels and built an e-commerce sales platform in China. Since then, she has joined East Meets West, a leading importer in China as a brand manager.
Today, she looks forward to establishing great marketing in China for Ethica Wine's Italian wines. With Ethica Wines since 2022.
Contact information: hailey.beike@ethicawines.comIliana Cartone
IT & SAP Project Manager
Iliana was born to Italian immigrants in Caracas, Venezuela. Her nonni and very young parents arrived to Venezuela in the 50’s, looking for better living conditions as many other Italians back at that time. Being born in Venezuela and from Italian immigrants, she was raised with the lovely mix of both cultures and traditions. She studied Systems Engineering at Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, where she also obtained an MBA in the same university. Soon after the bachelor’s degree, she was hired from an American consulting firm Accenture, specialized in information technology services and consulting.
During her work at Accenture she plunged into SAP and since then she has been participating for 14+ years in SAP implementations around the world for large Consumer Goods and Products industries.
Recently joining Ethica Wines to fill the role of IT & SAP Project Manager – all her experience in business digital transformation and several SAP implementations prepped her up for this role. Having worked as a consultant, it gave her the chance to travel while visiting different countries and cultures in Latin America and Europe, which she cherishes as a very enriching experience.
She is very excited and thankful for this opportunity and looks forward to learning more about the wine world, being able to build strong relationships and contribute to the best of her abilities to Ethica Wines’s progress and success.
Juhee Ryou
Regional Sales Manager - South Korea
Lara Lona
Logistics & Purchasing Director
Luke Scileppi
Sales Area Manager - New York & New Jersey
Marco Ballarin
Sales Area Manager - Los Angeles
Marco was born in Italy, in a small town by the sea just outside Venice. Hs’s deep passion for wine started in the early years thanks to his family’s restaurant where he immersed himself in the world of wine and gastronomy. Determined to further his education, Marco decided to attend the university in the US, earning a degree in biology.
Soon after college, Marco pursued his dedication of wine and completed the 3 levels of AIS certification (Associazione Italiana Sommelier). Then, he enrolled in a Master in Wine & Spirits Management at Kedge Business school in Bordeaux, France. Upon completion of the master Marco achieved the WSET Level 3 in wine and focused his research on the correlation between climate change and the return of investment for fine wines. Soon, his journey led him to London where he worked for Liv-ex , giving him the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of wine trading and the secondary market.
In February 2024, Marco embarked on a new chapter of his career by joining Ethica as Sales Manager of Southern California.
Maddalena Pistillo
Sales Area Manager MI, OH & National Prestige Accounts
Maddalena was born in Schio - Vicenza, Italy. Since she was 15 years old, she has always been a world traveler. She started by joining her father on his business trips, then later she spent some time in China throughout University projects while studying Economics in Milan, and later as export manager at her family’s business. In 2015 she graduated in “International Master in Business Administration” at CUOA Business School in Vicenza: a personal and professional life-changing experience that brought her to meet her husband and up took the management of a challenging tourism project in southern Italy. When in 2017 her husband accepted a job offer in Michigan, she had to start from the ground up once again to build her new life in the US as a mother while holding on to her strong entrepreneurial ambitions. Following her passion for fine products, she founded her own business as “made in Italy lifestyle ambassador,” representing excellence in the wine and food industry. She also partnered with a Caviar import company during the pandemic time, which led her to work in the worst market conditions but with the opportunity to dive even more into the fine restaurant industry and community. She’s now focusing on wine as it has always been her greatest passion, attending the Champagne Master program at the Wine scholar guild and about to start WSET level 3.
Mattia Magnoni
Area Sales Manager Mountains
Michelle Beltrame
Digital Marketing Specialist
Niccolò Rossi
Key Account Manager - Off Trade - East Region
Nicola D'Incà
Bookkeeper & Treasury Specialist
Nicola Saltori
Business Analyst - APAC, Canada & Off-Trade
Omar Belhadj
Junior Business Analyst
Omar was born in Rabat, Morocco where he embraced the French educational system, which nurtured his desire to discover new things. With a background in finance and marketing, Omar's insatiable curiosity has driven him to explore new horizons and pursue his passions. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge were evident from an early age, that following his baccalauréat in Physics, he pursued a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing, where he found his true calling.
Eager to apply his knowledge to the real world, Omar gained valuable experience in the banking and consulting fields in Morocco. These experiences allowed him to hone his analytical skills and gain a deeper understanding of business operations.
Upon completing his MBA at the University of North Florida, Omar joined Ethica Wines as a business analyst. With a strong desire to make a mark in the wine industry, Omar is poised to contribute to the growth and development of the company.
At Ethica Wines, he seeks to further his understanding of the sector, explore innovative approaches, and make a positive impact globally.
Paola Lena
Chief Financial Officer
Paola Virone
Sales Area Manager Southeast and North Texas
Born in Genova into a family of food enthusiasts and avid travelers, Paola’s passion for exploration was nurtured from an early age, fostering a profound adaptability to thrive in diverse, multicultural environments.
Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for the world of food and beverage, she pursued her studies at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piemonte, examining the complex relationships that determine methods of production and consumption.
Throughout her academic tenure, she seized invaluable work opportunities abroad, from Finland, where she contributed to a Gin and Whisky distillery, to Copenhagen, where she worked for a Michelin-starred restaurant, then, back to Italy, she immersed in the art of Vermouth production.
Armed with a degree in hand, she furthered her expertise by obtaining her WSET 2 certification in Spirits, leading her to one of Italy's leading e-commerce platforms specialized in wine and spirits.
Paolo Bressan
VP of Sales - Off-trade
Paolo Cressi
Sales Area Manager - Nevada
Riccardo Giacobbo
Sales Area Manager - Mid Atlantic
Riccardo is originally from Veneto, he grew up in a small town near the Prosecco area. Since he was a kid, he has always been surrounded by the wine environment. Since he was 17, he has always worked at the weekends in restaurants and wine bars, driven by his passion and curiosity for everything related to food and wine. After the diploma, he started studying Business Administration and Management in Venice and during his studies, he started traveling and working in the surfing industry in France and Portugal, as he always loved to get in touch with different places and cultures and communicate in different languages.
He then decided to try to turn his passion for wine into an occupation, so he started working for an e-commerce of wine and spirits to learn how to deal with the commercial part of the product and then he did some experiences in the vineyards in Veneto and Burgundy. With Ethica Wines since 2023.
Robert Zaun
Sales Area Manager - North Florida
Roberta Picco
Regional Sales Manager - Greater China
Roberto Sanso
Sales Area Manager - South & East Florida
Simone Iacopini
Director of Sales - West Coast
Sofia Mason
Product Marketing Assistant
Sofia was born and raised in Treviso, Italy. Her educational journey began at Ca' Foscari University in Venice, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management. Her passion for the subject led her to further studies at the same university, where she embarked on a Master’s Degree in International Management. Yearning for an international experience, she fulfilled a long-held dream to study in the United States, attending a semester at Texas A&M University. Sofia has always been enthusiastic about wine and international business, so she is thrilled to be part of the Ethica Wines team. She was particularly drawn to this opportunity due to the youthful, energetic nature of the team and the innovative spirit that pervades the company. Sofia obtained her WSET Level 2 in Wines.
With Ethica Wines since 2022.Stephen Deyton
Sales Area Manager Southwest Texas
Stephen is originally from a small town in Alabama called Fairhope. He brings over 21 years of experience in the wine industry. His wine journey began with a four-year immersion in the South of France, where he earned a degree in Sommelier at the Universite Du Vin at Château Suze-la-Rousse.
Following his studies, he honed his skills in San Francisco’s culinary scene, working in several Michelin-starred restaurants. Notably, he served as sommelier for Michael Mina, learning under the esteemed guidance of Rajat Parr, a renowned sommelier and now winemaker in California.
Over the past 21 years, Stephen been lucky to travel to various wine regions, including California, Oregon, France, Italy, and Spain. In 2019, he had the privilege of participating in a harvest in Oregon with Jay McDonald at EIEIO, a renowned boutique winery.
Transitioning from restaurants to wine distribution, Stephen joined RNDC in 2020, one of our national partners, on the Vanguard Team. Then in September 2023, he achieved his WSET III in Wine.
During Stephen’s tenure at RNDC, he forged a strong professional relationship with Carolina Cossu and his alignment with Ethica is serendipitous, given his profound respect for Italian traditions.
Stephen is thrilled to contribute his extensive experience and deep passion for the industry to the Ethica Wines team.
Vera Malisani
Marketing Director & VP of Sales Canada & APAC
Veronica Zonta
Marketing Team Leader
Victoria Ciobanu
Logistics Specialist – APAC
Victoria was born and raised in Moldova, where she lived until she graduated at the Faculty of Political Science and International Diplomatic Relations. She received a bilingual education, as Moldova was a republic under the USSR up to 1991, thus her native languages being Russian and Romanian. At the age of 24 years, she decided to embark on the journey to explore the world and moved to the United Kingdom, where she lived and worked as a bookkeeper for 4 years.
It was fate that brought her to Italy, where her family moved to Trento in the meantime. She completely fell in love with Italy, its beautiful landscape, gastronomy, and wine. Starting a new job in a wine company ignited her passion for the wine world. Eight years working within the export department strengthened her knowledge of both wine and commercial practices while also cultivating her passion through wine courses (AIS 1 level), various tastings, wine fairs and events. With Ethica Wines since 2022.