Executive Leadership
Carlos J. Carreras
Chief Executive Officer
Carlos began his career in the Gallo Sales Division of Premier Beverage company in South Florida in 1993. Since then, he has held various roles and positions in The Paddington Corporation, Brown-Forman Beverages and William Grant & Sons. Before joining Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing, Carlos was the VP Sales/National Sales Manager at White Rock Distilleries from 2006-2012 and he held the same position at Western Spirits Company from 2012-2015. He was very active in the development, rollout planning, distributor management and volume growth of brands which included Pinnacle Vodka, Three Olives Vodka, and Bird Dog Bourbon. His experience in brand building, brand volume growth and national distributor relationships is an integral part of the development of all Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing Brands.
John T. Dunn
Chief Operating Officer
John has over 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry, the most recent 16 years with various wine & spirits distributors. Prior to Blue Ridge, he was the Director of On-Premise Wine overseeing the state of Georgia for Georgia Crown Distributing. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, and a graduate of West Virginia University in Morgantown, John has called Atlanta, GA home for the last 20 years. John is a tenacious individual who contributes to all aspects of our business in sales, marketing, operations and supplier development.
Lou conrad
Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
Lou joins Blue Ridge from Rémy Cointreau, where he was the Chief Commercial Officer for the US and Canada. A native of New Orleans, Loustarted his career in the Beverage Alcohol industry at the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler in 1995. Lou transitioned to Magnolia Marketing, now RNDC Louisiana, in 1999, before joining Remy Cointreau in January of 2006. Lou resides in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children, Blake, Meredith, and Caroline.
Sales & Marketing Team
paul doran
Control State Division Vice President
Paul began his career in the beverage industry in 2004 working as a Retail Account Manager in Pennsylvania for Capital Wine & Spirits (Charmer Sunbelt Group). After a short time, his immediate success afforded him multiple opportunities within Diageo North America, where he worked for nearly 5 years. He was later recruited to a Regional Sales Manager role at White Rock Distilleries. Paul was responsible for developing brands such as Pinnacle Vodka and Calico Jack Rums, which became marketplace leaders during his tenure. After the sale of White Rock Distilleries, Paul accepted a regional role at Western Spirits Beverage Company and was promoted to Control States Sales Director after 18 months. Paul oversaw 9 markets and worked closely with a broker, distributor network on building brands, most notably Bird Dog Flavored Whiskies. Paul lives in the Philadelphia area where he patiently awaits a Super Bowl victory by his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. He has never eaten a cheesesteak from Geno’s.
T.J. NICHOLS
Central Division Vice President
A graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management, TJ has spent the entirety of his career in the world of wine & spirits - creating, introducing and growing new brands. Before joining Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing in May 2019, TJ was the Central Division Director for Zamora Company USA and before that, Director of Sales for Mesa Vineyards, Texas’ largest winery. Prior to working for Mesa, he spent many years with Western Spirits, living in both Dallas and Chicago, debuting new brands including Kru Vodka, Bird Dog Bourbon, Lexington and Calumet Farms, among others. He was the Southwest Regional Manager with White Rock Distilleries, contributing to the growth of Pinnacle Vodka to becoming a 2.8 million case brand. TJ currently resides in McKinney, TX with his wife, Hillary and their two young daughters.
carter perks
Eastern Division Vice President
Carter represents four generations of hospitality expertise. He spent his adolescent years working in hotels and restaurants. Carter’s extensive knowledge of on premise operations along with his results oriented retail sales execution strategies make him an asset to brands looking to gain traction in the marketplace. Carter began his his career in the wine & spirits industry with National Distributing Company (NDC) Georgia in 1999. During his 16-year career at NDC, he achieved several positions, including Vice President of On Premise Georgia. Carter was instrumental in developing launch and market strategies for brands in Georgia across many leading suppliers and independent-craft portfolios. Carter has a passion for brand building and has achieved the Specialist of Spirits (CSS) along with WSET certifications. Carter is a graduate of Florida International University School of Hospitality Management and currently resides in his home state of Florida.
SEAN DOUGHERTY
Western Division Vice President
Sean earned his Bachelor’s degree from the nationally ranked Hilton Hospitality College at the University of Houston. After graduating, he managed some of the top restaurants in Houston in the fine dining category. During this time, Sean maintained a passion for wine and spirits, which led him to join Republic National Distributing Company December of 2014 as an on-premise sales representative. He was then promoted to be the Prestige Portfolio Manager, with an on-premise focus in the wine and spirits luxury segment of Pernod Ricard’s portfolio. Sean was then interested in expanding his supplier and retail knowledge and joined Rebecca Creek Distillery as the Southeast Texas and Louisiana market manager. We’re glad to have Sean onboard with Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing as of April 2019. Sean resides in Houston, TX with his wife and son.
leah keggi
Marketing
Leah and has over 8 years of experience in the marketing field and before joining the Blue Ridge family, she managed marketing for Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA. Leah’s experience is enhanced by her degree from Wake Forest University, School of Business in Winston-Salem, NC where she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Enterprise Management with a concentration in Marketing Communications and a minor in both English and Studio Art. She has great experience in brand building, working with sales associates & brings strong creativity and social media marketing skills to the team. Leah joined Blue Ridge in November 2020.
Erica Williams
Marketing
Erica is a native of Jamaica with over 10 years of experience in brand marketing. Erica began her career in the spirits industry in 2010 with diageo, with primary focus on sprits and beers. In 2013, she went to work in spirits for Gruppo Campari driving brand strategy for their priority rum brands in Jamaica. Previous to joining Blue Ridge Spirits she consulted as her own firm offering services of business development, brand strategy and project management, whilst holding the post of general manager for a local restuarant chain Georgia. As Brand Manager she works to ensure that marketing efforts are driving sales and growing brands. She resides in Decatur, GA.
kristy dziuba
Regional Manager (North TX, OK, LA)
Kristy grew up in Bryan, TX and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Finance and minoring in Spanish. In 2006, Kristy began her career in the Spirits and Wine industry with Republic National Distributing as an on-premise sales representative where she managed key accounts, hotels and various territories in the DFW metroplex. In 2011, Kristy decided to expand her knowledge of the industry to include the supplier side of the business and accepted a position as the North Texas Territory Manager for Peligroso Tequila, where she managed both on and off-premise business. In 2014, Kristy joined Rebecca Creek Distillery as the North Texas and Oklahoma Area Manager before joining Blue Ridge in April 2019. Kristy resides in McKinney, TX with her husband and their two dogs.
keith fillmore
Regional Manager (MA, CT, RI)
Keith was born and raised in Rockport, Massachusetts, located along the north shore coast of MA, Rockport and was ironically a “dry” town until very recently. Keith began his career in the wine and spirits industry in 2001 and spent over 15 years working for various incarnations of Jim Beam Brands (Future Brands, Beam Global and now Beam Suntory) in Massachusetts and Rhode Island markets. He started as a sales representative in MA before he was promoted to MA Area Manager. He then became the State Manager in RI, followed by managing territory sales in MA and RI. He was crucial to the growth of premium brands such as, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek and Hornitos Tequila in MA and RI; and successfully worked in both on and off premise channels managing multiple distributors in those states. He currently resides in Tewksbury, just north of Boston with his wife, Roberta and two children, Alexandra and William.
Anthony Bouza
Regional Manager (FL)
A Miami-native, Anthony has over 10 years in the wine and spirits industry. After graduating with a degree in Finance from Florida State University he began his career at Pernod-Ricard USA as a Retail Account Specialist in the Southern New Jersey market. In 2015, Anthony returned to Miami and began a 7-year stay with Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits as a Sales Consultant, forging strong relationships with key South Florida accounts and distributor leadership. Anthony’s certifications include WSET Level II in Wine and Spirits, Guild of Sommelier Level 1, and earned his MBA from Florida International University in 2020.
Wyatt Taylor
Regional Manager (GA, SC, NC - Wine)
KIM KURZAWA
Area Manager (MI, OH)
Kim graduated from Michigan State University and started her career in alcohol sales immediately working as a sales rep for Dan Henry, the local Miller distributor. She then went on to work for the Miller distributor in Metro Detroit as an on premise sales consultant. From there she switched gears to spirits working for Great Lakes Wine and Spirits covering on premise in Metro Detroit. In 2018 an opportunity arose to help build a new local distillery named Coppercraft. After working to grow the brand the distillery grew to become CraftCo. With CraftCo becoming part of the Blue Ridge Spirits and wine marketing family she then moved on to work for Blue Ridge handling the state of Michigan for the CraftCo portfolio. In 2023 she was promoted to Area manager of Michigan/Ohio. Kim resides in Metro Detroit with her fiancée and 2 Golden Retrievers Miles and Murphy.
eddie varsalona
Corporate Brand Educator
An industry veteran of over 20 years, Eddie’s experience is diverse. He has owned successful restaurants, worked for 8 years at a large distributor, achieved the Specialist of Spirits (CSS) and Specialist of Wine (CSW) certifications from the Society of Wine Educators, and is a member of the United States Bartenders Guild. With his ear on the street looking for trends, Eddie comes to you with a passion for learning, teaching, hosting and sharing, and is organically drawn to all aspects of the beverage industry. Consistently, it is the connection between food, beverage and the personal relationships that come with the wine and spirits industry that have kept him on this path for so long.
Julianne Garber
Area Manager (CO, MO, KS, NM)
Julianne graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and Florida International University with degrees in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, as well as Hospitality. She began her career in the beverage side of the industry as a Sommelier at Miami’s acclaimed Forge Restaurant. This position propelled her into the world of distribution with her first position as an on-premise sales representative for Republic National Distributing Company in Miami Beach, Florida managing a portfolio of over 9,000 wines and spirits for her customer base. After relocating to Colorado during the 2020 pandemic to scratch her outdoor itch, she continued her employment with RNDC as an on- premise wine focused sales representative in downtown Denver. Here she built a 186 account territory 46% YOY in 2022. In the summer of 2023, she took a leap to the supplier side and temporarily moved back to South Florida as a Business Development manager for DAOU vineyards. She now resides in Denver, Colorado, with her toy Australian Shepherd, Leo! In her spare time, she loves to hike with Leo, ski backcountry and resorts, xc ski, cook, do yoga, and learn as much about the wine and spirits world as possible!
Ryan Klosicki
Market Manager (Central/North FL)
Ryan comes to Blue Ridge Wine & Spirits after having an extensive career in the adult beverage industry. He began his career at a local Budweiser Distributor, Pepin Distributing. Following that he moved into the spirits industry and was a Sales Specialist at St. Petersburg Distillery helping launch the new company in 2016. In 2017 he began working at Republic National Distributing as a Chain Sales Representative. He then moved to working for Devils River Whiskey as a Central Florida Sales Manager in 2019. After a small stint out of the industry with Arizona Iced Tea, he found his way back with Blue Ridge Wine & Spirits starting March 2022. Ryan grew up in Tampa, FL and still resides there with his wife, Gina and two children, Mila & Lucas.
james demoss
Market Manager (Southeast & Central TX)
James earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Houston. After graduating, he was the Corporate Wellness Account Specialist for Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, where he helped develop, implement, and maintain the company’s Internal Wellness Program. After his time in healthcare, James joined Republic National Distributing Company in September 2016 as an off-premise sales representative. During this time James focused on creating and heightening awareness for the company brands to maximize profit growth while developing relationships with independents and chain accounts.
Steve Abasso
Market Manager (Southern CA)
Steve began managing two retail account businesses, where he quickly devolved his passion for spirits. From there, he worked with Mexcor, growing revenue and exceeding targets. From Mexcor, Steve worked with Anheuser-Busch where he managed over 50 accounts exceeding territory sales. A San Diego native, that speaks 3 languages.
Finance, Operations, and Compliance
jennifer aaron
Office Manager/Compliance
Jennifer began her career in the fashion industry. In 2013 she made the move to the wine & spirits industry. Her former position as Office Manager at Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits entailed Compliance and Administrative support. She now utilizes her skill set at Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing to help further grow the business. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two boys.