CHRISTINA
ALIBOZEK
Wine & Spirits Professional
About Me
Welcome! I’m Christina Alibozek.
I am an experienced Marketing & Sales professional, working full time in the Wine & Spirits Industry with a current focus on executing Luxury Spirits Initiatives. Working in Dallas, TX for a major distributor, I have intricate knowledge of the Texas 3-Tier System and Class Bs, as well as day-to-day contact with a broad variety of Spirits suppliers.
I first fell in love with the Wine Industry while studying abroad in Bordeaux, France, and have actively continued this passion with my career in Wine & Spirits Sales! My first step towards this goal was passing the Court of Masters Sommeliers Americas Introductory Sommelier Course in February 2020. I have spent the last two years working for Republic National Distributing Company gaining invaluable product knowledge and sales experience, first as an On-Premise Sales Representative, and most recently as the Luxury Spirits Specialist in North Texas. I have intricate knowledge of the Wine and Spirits Market in Texas, and have broad experience ranging from activating value brands, to creating bespoke experiences in the Luxury Universe. I am WSET II Spirits Certified.
I graduated college in May of 2020 with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University.
Marketing & Sales are something I am extremely passionate about because I believe they are the keys to creating personal relationships between the consumer and brand. Working for one of America's largest private companies, as well as having worked for a Fortune 100 company and small businesses, I have experience in creating brand loyalty across the spectrum. Combining this with my aptitude for customer service and my results-driven nature, I have achieved great success in this industry.
I am eager to continue enhancing my knowledge about this industry, and am excited to see what the future holds!
Work Experience
Luxury Specialist
Republic National Distributing Company
Feb 2022 - Present
In February of 2022, I was promoted to the newly created Luxury Specialist role to support the On-Premise Spirits team in North Texas. This has been a great opportunity, as I have really gotten the chance to build out the role and create unique processes and initiatives to help streamline operations and create accountability regarding growing market share in the ever-relevant Luxury Spirits Sector. Our Luxury Spirits Portfolio places a strong emphasis on the Cognac, Single Malt Scotch, and Agave spirit categories, and includes products from top suppliers such as Remy Cointreau, Pernod Ricard, Edrington, William Grant & Sons, Brown Forman, and Proximo. My team of 3 covers the state of Texas, with my specific responsibility being to manage the 45 person On-Premise Sales Team with regards to Luxury Programming across the $453,000,000/year North Texas region. I also focus on expanding our Luxury Market Share in the top 35 Luxury Accounts across NTX, including Hotels, Regional Accounts, Private Membership Clubs, and Independent Accounts. The remainder of my responsibilities revolve around training Team RNDC with in-depth luxury category knowledge, specifically through creating sales tools and leading workshops. My own personal training in this role has included my passing the WSET Level II Spirits exam with Distinction, as well as attending an in-depth 9 day Scotch training trip, visiting 6 distilleries in various regions of Scotland. There has already been so much great opportunity within this role, and I look forward to the continued growth of the Luxury Sector and the role I play in building this business for RNDC and our Supplier Partners.
On-Premise Sales Representative
Republic National Distributing Company
Sept 2020 - Feb 2022
In 2020, I moved to Dallas, TX and began my professional career as an On-Premise Spirits Sales Representative at Republic National Distributing Company. I covered the fast paced and competitive $25,000,000/year Deep Ellum/Downtown Dallas territory, calling on 65 key accounts. While in this role, I was successful in building extremely strong relationships with key decision makers in each account, resulting in gained market share. My portfolio of brands included products from top suppliers such as Sazerac, William Grant & Sons, Stoli Group, and Infinium. I consistently exceeded my KPIs, doubling growth for those key suppliers from 13.25% to 26.75% during my year and a half in the role. I succeeded in securing long term programming to expand distribution and drive depletions in my territory, while executing and maintaining company driven initiatives. I learned so much in this first role, and consider it a major building block to my current and future successes in the industry!
Marketing Intern
Omaha Brewing Company
Oct 2019 - May 2020
Social Media Manager, Intern
Auburn Abroad Office
Aug 2019 - May 2020
Merchandising Intern,
Disney College Program
Jan 2018 - August 2018
Leadership & Activities
Marketing/Communications
Murray's Light Foundation
Sept 2019 - Present
Event Coordination
Auburn University Alumni Association
April 2022 - Present
Education
Auburn University, Auburn AL
August 2015 - May 2020
I recently graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration with a professional option of Marketing from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University. During my time at Auburn, I was able to gain many valuable skills through interactions with my peers and professors. My involvement in the Auburn University chapter of the American Marketing Association really shaped my understanding of Marketing best practices. During my membership, I served on the Merchandising and Media Committee, where our primary focus was increasing AUMA's visibility on and around campus through creating merchandise and promoting AUMA via various media platforms. My time at Auburn has greatly prepared me for a future in the professional field, where my aspirations are to explore the Wine & Beer Sales Industry. I am extremely excited to explore the incredible opportunities offered by this storied industry!
KEDGE Business School, Bordeaux, France
January 2019 - May 2019
I was selected to complete a semester long Business Exchange Program at the KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France. This opportunity increased my skills in planning, communication, problem-solving, and leadership, as well as my industry knowledge regarding Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Learning exciting subject matter such as Luxury Marketing Theory and corporate responsibility with regards to Sustainable Marketing was extremely enlightening, and allowed me to branch out in terms of my education. I was the only Auburn student on the exchange, and one of only 4 American students. Being so completely immersed in a different culture gave me the ability to adapt quickly, as well as learn from my colleagues coming for a myriad of different backgrounds and cultures. My time in Bordeaux is also where I discovered my vast interest in the Wine Industry, and is where I began my Wine knowledge education through various courses, such as Wine Marketing. I really enjoyed the opportunities to gain knowledge of subjects that are not common here in the United States, because it allowed me to broaden my education parameters. It was an experience that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life.
Relevant Coursework
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Luxury Marketing
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Wine Marketing
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Hospitality Marketing
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Public Speaking
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Marketing Research & Analytics
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Marketing Strategy
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Digital Marketing
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Strategic Management
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Business Analytics I & II
Skills
Certifications/ Awards
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Luxury Product Knowledge
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ASW
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MicroStrategy
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Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables)
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Knowledge of 3-Tier Beverage System
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Project Management
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Large Scale Event Marketing/Planning
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Sales
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Public Speaking
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Customer Service
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Leadership
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RNDC Sales Rep of the Quarter, Q2 2021