Born in Alhambra, California, Bob was raised in South Pasadena, California, and graduated from South Pasadena High School. He attended both California State University of Los Angeles and UCLA and graduated with degrees in Business Administration and Finance. Bob is a 42 year veteran of the wine and spirits business, encompassing Retail, Wholesale-Distribution, Importing, Exporting, National Sales and Marketing, Winery Operations, and Wine Cellar Design and Acquisition. He was most recently Director for the Hearst Ranch Winery, a partnership between Stephen Hearst, 4th generation of California’s famous Hearst Family (Hearst Publication and Media, Hearst Ranch, Hearst Castle), and Jim Saunders of Paso Robles-San Simeon, California.
Previous to this, he was Managing Director of Maddalena Brands-San Antonio Winery of Los Angeles, California, and with this company for 26 years. During this time, from 1984 to 2005, he was also Vice President-Partner of Dreyfus, Ashby & Company, a national wine importer and marketing company based in New York, New York.
Previous to this he was Vice-President General Manager-Wine Division of Young’s Market Company, Los Angeles, California. Currently, Bob is Managing Director for LAC Products of Glendale, California, an importer of middle-eastern based wine and spirits, and Partner-COO for Choctal LLC, a producer of single-origin, chocolate and vanilla premium ice creams. In addition, he is a limited partner in the Smith Brothers’ Restaurant Chain of Pasadena, California.
Bob sits on the Board of Directors of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS and holds the position of Vice-President Finance-Treasurer and on the Board of Directors of the Huntington Hospital-Parkway Grill Fall Food and Wine Festival and is Chair of its Wine & Spirits Committee. Bob, his wife Kim, and his sixteen year old daughter, Darcy, reside in Altadena, California.
