SEATTLE, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WineBid, the premier online auction marketplace for fine and rare wines, has appointed Russ Mann as CEO and Member of the Board.
"We are extremely excited to bring on Russ Mann to lead the next phase of WineBid's growth," said Aaron Faust, a WineBid Board Member who helped lead the search, and a Managing Partner of Third Leaf Partners. "Russ has a proven record of growing shareholder value at marketplace and e-commerce companies while maintaining a keen focus on the customer experience. We particularly appreciate his development of high-performance teams and his culture-driven approach to strategy and execution, both of which will be critical in taking the company to the next level."
In the $10 billion global online wine market, WineBid is the largest online auction site for fine and rare wines. Founded in 1996, WineBid has developed an industry-leading technology platform supported by proprietary methodology for authentication and inspection. The company operates a state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled warehouse with the largest single bottle racking system in the world, and has 23 years of expertise in interstate and international logistics. WineBid is one of the most trusted sources for global buyers and sellers of fine wines, with over 100,000 registered bidders and growing.
Mann brings extensive and relevant marketplace and e-commerce growth experience at the board and executive levels. He is Chairman and investor in Demandstar, a leading platform for a $2B+ marketplace that enables businesses to sell to state and local governments. Demandstar is a spinout of Seattle-based Onvia, where as CEO Mann spearheaded the turnaround, growth, and sale of the company with a 100% market cap increase in 10 months. Previously he was at Outerwall, taken private by Apollo Equity for $1.6B, where he led the turnaround and growth in profitability for the Gazelle.com e-commerce group, a marketplace for buying and selling recycled electronics. Mann is also currently on the Board of Ooma, the leading communications services provider for small businesses and consumers, sold through online e-commerce and offline retail and distribution channels.
"I'm very excited to join WineBid at this time," said Mann. "Fine and rare wines are a fascinating and dynamic marketplace, as both luxury consumables and investment vehicles. There are many interesting opportunities for innovative applications of technology in this space. WineBid has established itself as the premium service leader in the market, with a strong community of longstanding and recurring buyers and consignors. The team is passionate about wine and e-commerce, and more importantly, they have a reputation for delighting customers through exceptional service. The company is backed by investors with long-term vision, passion for innovation, and deep industry knowledge and connections."
WineBid was acquired by an investor group led by Third Leaf Partners in 2017. Third Leaf Partners is a San Francisco-based private equity firm that advises, invests in, manages, and operates beverage and hospitality businesses. Current investments include Blackberry Farm (Tennessee), and Twin Farms (Vermont), Mulderbosch (South Africa), Empire Estate (New York), and ENTER.Sake (Japan).
About WineBid: Established in 1996, WineBid is the largest online auction for fine and rare wines with more than 100,000 registered bidders worldwide. New Winebid LLC is based in Seattle, WA, with operations in Napa, CA. For more information, visit www.winebid.com or call (888) 638-8968.
Contact: Brooke Hilton, pr@winebid.com, or (888) 638-8968 x213
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SOURCE WineBid
