The Hummingbird | CEO / Founder | Yoav Gilat
Yoav launched Cannonball Wines with 20 + years of diverse experience in consumer goods & beverages. Born and raised in Israel, Yoav moved to the UK in 1994 & studied Law at University of Kent. Following graduation, Yoav practiced law for three years before moving on to Tymco Beer Ltd., where he managed business development for brands including; Red Bull, Corona, Beringer, Masi, Fonseca, Planeta & others. Yoav then pursued his MBA at Columbia Business School & Haas School of Business/Berkeley & further deepened his industry experience by providing strategy & marketing services to Constellation with their brands; Blackstone Winery & The Campari Group – SKYY Vodka. Today, Yoav oversees all day-to-day operations as well as the company’s distributor & international sales networks in over 60 markets. True to the Cannonball spirit, Yoav is a professional scuba diver & Cabernet is his “go-to” varietal.
The Water Goddess | Head Winemaker | Ondine Chattan
Ondine is a passionate Sonoma County winemaker with experience ranging from cult boutique producers to notable household name brands. Her love of the diversity of Sonoma and California at large fuels her enthusiasm for making a range of varietals from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet. Ondine takes a hands-on, multidisciplinary approach to winemaking- a credit to her years spent earning a Master’s of Science in Enology from Fresno State and a Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Read more about Ondine here.
The Batsman | Chairman | Lawrence Seeff
Lawrence holds 20+ years of experience leading privately held, billion-dollar firms in the global real estate & financial sectors. He is a tremendous asset in advising both business & financial affairs for the Company. Lawrence always aspires to the highest level of achievement; he was a former South African first-class cricketer & has climbed 5 of the 7 world’s highest peaks. Naturally Pinotage, the signature grape of South Africa, is Lawrence’s favorite.
Dr. Strange | Vice President of Finance & Operations | Albert Savedra
Albert joined the Team with over 20 years of senior finance & operations management. He is a Bay Area native & earned his B.S. in Business Administration/Accounting from San Francisco State University. Albert’s career has primarily focused in the beverage alcohol industry. A pivotal career experience was with Winery Exchange, where he played a key role during a period of strategic shift, double-digit growth & five brand acquisitions. In his free time Albert enjoys gardening & spending time with family & friends, which pair nicely with a glass of Syrah!
Snow White | Vice President of Sales | Jennifer Chapple
Jennifer brings 25+ years of diverse wine experience to our Team. Her unique breadth of experience covers all facets of the industry! She launched her career on the wholesale side with Young’s Market Co. in CA. Following Young’s, Jennifer began honing her skills on the supplier side with Trinchero Family Estates & then Constellation. She was then recruited by HEB grocery stores in TX for the role of Retail Wine Buyer. After two years at HEB, the supplier side came calling again & in the years that followed she held Executive Sales & Management roles within several high profile wine companies; Banfi Vintners, Palm Bay, Fetzer, & most recently with Folio as their Director of National Accounts. Jennifer is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) & continues her study of wine – which is as much her hobby as her career. Cooking for family & friends, traveling the globe & drinking a great glass (or two) of red wine makes Jennifer a happy lady!
The One and Only | Director of Marketing | Kelley Deal
Kelley brings 20+ years of diversified wine industry experience to the Team. She began her career in the Russian River Valley at De Loach Vineyards, where she acquired 7 years of sales & marketing experience. Kelley spent the next 13 years in key marketing roles throughout the industry: digital consumer marketing with wine.com, print media at Wine Country Living Magazine & consulting for digital wine marketing company, Vintank. Travel, food, wine & a good laugh are some of Kelley’s favorite things & it is a rare moment that she would pass on a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc!
Emily in Paris | Export Guru | Emily Putman
Emily worked for the Francis Ford Coppola Winery as VP International Sales for 12 years. She relies on her extensive background in the wine & spirits industry & diverse international relations to swiftly & effectively navigate the ever-changing export market, spearheading global wine & spirits export efforts & liaising with importers in more than 65 countries. When she is not on the road, you’ll likely find Emily enjoying her time at home in California or globe-trotting with her young daughter, son, & family seeking the allure of a new adventure.
Queen of the South | Central / South Director of Sales | Barbara Jurbala
Barbara joined the Team with 28 years of beverage sales & management experience. Born & raised in Texas, Barbara launched her career on the wholesaler side, specializing in on-premise with wines at Quality Beverage & then spirits at Glazer’s. After 5 years on the wholesale side she joined Brown Forman to manage their on-premise wine & spirits business in the Houston market. After 10 successful years with Brown Forman, Barbara went to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates as On-premise Market Manager specializing in Regional account programs. After 9 years, Barbara moved on to Transcendent Wines as Region Sales Manager for TX/LA/OK managing company owned & agency brands in multiple distributors. Her favorite wines are Red Blends, & diving, boating, & all things around the water are her happy place!
The Navigator | Midwest/ Southeast Director of Sales| Josh Brett
Josh brings over 20 years of experience across the Southeastern US. After paying dues in the Restaurant Industry, Josh spent 6 years with Georgia Crown Distributing in the Atlanta area. He was then recruited to join Beam Wine Estates, where he excelled in a hybrid Sales & Finance Role covering 12 states. Josh then spent 5 years with Michael David Winery, covering Florida to Maryland to Texas. Prior to joining our Team, Josh was a part of the Transcendent Fine Wine Division of Delicato (formerly V2 Wine Group), winning both the Founder’s Award & Sales Person of the Year. Josh is a fan of the Atlanta Braves & Falcons, enjoys various types of music, & attempts (poorly) to play guitar. His go – to wines are a sparkling Rosé or traditional Red Blend.
Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games) | West/Southwest Director of Sales | Jennifer Iverson
A Napa Valley native, Jen grew up surrounded by beautiful vineyards & wine producers. Her passion for wine was born while attending Sonoma State University & working in the tasting room of ZD Wines. After graduation she relocated to Phoenix, AZ & began working for Breakthru Beverage Group in wine sales. From there she joined RNDC/Young’s as Resort Sales Manager. Jen was recruited into her first supplier role by Vine Hill. In 2012 she joined Fetzer Vineyards, in a regional sales position & held several positions throughout the following 9 years. Most recently, Vice President of the West Division, running the states from Colorado, West. In her personal time, Jen is an avid traveler & enjoys exploring. She can be found hiking with her beagle or enjoying a glass of bubbles with her friends.
Miss Sunshine | FL, MS, NH, RI, MA Sales Manager | Sarah LaFlamme
Sarah brings with her twelve+ years of wine sales experience from restaurants, retail, On/off-premise distributor sales & two years on the supplier side. She has a combined six years under her belt working in distributor sales for both Baystate W&S in Boston, MA & Breakthru Beverage in Orlando, Florida. Sarah most recently worked for O’Neill Vintners & Distillers as a Market Manager in Massachusetts & Rhode Island conquering the market during the peak years of Covid. In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending as much time as she can with her beabull (beagle/bulldog) Neo, exploring new restaurants & traveling. Sarah is happiest with any glass of wine in hand but Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Rose are her go-to’s.
Spider Woman | Canada Sales Manager / Northeast Consultant | Isabelle Deland
Hailing from Montreal, Isabelle brings 12+ years of wine experience to the Team. Her impressive credentials: WSET level 3 (with distinction), Certified Sommelier with Court of Master Sommelier, and a Certificate as Master taster, landed her the Sommelier position at Relais & Château in the Rhone Valley and Head Sommelier at the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore. Following her abroad positions, she was recruited by Gerard Bertrand as U.S. NE Consultant. Her NE successful consultant services brought her to Palm Bay Imports, where she consulted for the NYC territory. Covid struck and took her back to Montreal, with PMA (Canada’s leading Wine & Spirits Agency), before finding her home at SHARE A SPLASH. The outdoors, traveling the world & sipping a glass of Champagne are where you will find a happy Isabelle!
Rocket | Northwest Director of Sales | Nels Becker
Nels brings over two decades of expertise in the wine and beverage industry, with a career that spans every facet of the market. He began his professional journey at Bacchus Wine Patrol, where he honed his skills in wine wholesale. This led to winery roles at Bonny Doon Vineyards, Gruet Winery, and by 2013, Bethel Heights Vineyards, where he deepened his connection to boutique winemaking. In 2018, he joined American Northwest Distributors, bringing his strategic insight back into the Pacific Northwest wholesale space. Nels enjoys bonding with his children through music, billiards, and science projects. He is passionate about cooking, hiking with the family dog, and exploring both the outdoors and the world of wine. His favorite wine is always the one in his glass, perfectly paired with the conversation and the shared moment!
Thor | National Accounts | Matt Bindel
Matt has over 25 years of experience in the wine industry. Born in New Mexico and raised in New Zealand, he is a dual citizen who began his career in the UK before returning to New Zealand to work for large wine and spirits companies, including Giesen. In 2011, he moved to the U.S. as VP of Sales for North America at Giesen Wines, where he worked for seven years. He later worked for Foley Family Wines and as a contractor for Babich Wines, focusing on New Zealand wines. Matt holds a WSET Level 3 certification and has extensive expertise in on- and off-premise national accounts. In his free time, he enjoys watching football (Go Cowboys!), rugby (Go All Blacks!), playing golf, and his go-to drink is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, though he’s also fond of a good whiskey.
The Fixer | Operations Manager | Megan Matzinger
Megan came to Share a Splash Wine Co. from California’s Central Coast, where she spent 6 years working for Sextant Wines in Edna Valley & Paso Robles. Her interest in the wine business began when she was as a teenager… she would spend time driving family around wine tasting in the Paso Robles area. Realizing that wine makes for a good time, it seemed a natural fit to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she gained a degree in Wine & Viticulture with a concentration in Wine Business. Megan loves baking, watching the sun set over the ocean, & will never turn down a glass of Syrah!
Annie of All Trades | Sales & Marketing Coordinator | Annie Beltrami
Annie joined the Share a Splash team excited to build on her years of hospitality & sales experience. Though a Bay Area native, she spent upwards of a decade in New York where she worked in several well-known restaurants curating bar programs, honing her mixology skills, & beginning her wine studies. 2020 brought her back to the Bay, at which point she began her wine-focused career with E. & J. Gallo working in sales & then at the beautiful Talbott Vineyards in Monterey County, where she developed an affinity for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Annie loves rooting on the 49ers/Warriors/Giants with her family & taking any opportunity to travel – particularly to tropical destinations!
The Colonel | Production Manager | Lynne Chao
Lynne came to the Team with 35+ years of impressive production & lab experience from wineries of all sizes; Far Niente, Cameron Hughes, Golden State Vintners & Rack & Riddle. Lynn enjoys foraging for wild mushrooms & her favorite wine is a skin fermented Gewürztraminer or Riesling.
Lady J | Accountant | Julia Leeper
Julia came to the Team with a perfect combination of restaurant experience, business & bookkeeping. She hails from the U.K. & holds a BA in Business Studies. Prior to moving to the U.S. she was a restaurant manager & bar owner within a small London theatre. Julia enjoys the challenge of boot camp, running & loves cooking ‘whilst’ drinking Pinot Noir!