Team

Edgar M. Cullman, Jr.

Edgar M. Cullman, Jr. is a managing partner of Culbro, LLC, the private equity investment vehicle of the Cullman family. Culbro seeks to make controlled investments in middle market companies in the consumer sector as well as in business-to-business services. Prior to April 2005, he was president and CEO of General Cigar which manufactures many well-known premium hand-made cigars such as Macanudo, Partagas and Punch. He joined General Cigar after spending time in the US Army, during which he was stationed in Japan.

Mr. Cullman is a member of the following boards: Mount Sinai Hospital, Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brain Trauma Foundation, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Yale University Council.

Mr. Cullman graduated from Yale University in 1968.

William J. Deutsch

William J. Deutsch is the Chairman of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits.  In the 36 years since the company’s inception it has grown into the number one imported wine company in the U.S., selling well over 10 million cases of wine per year. In 2009, W.J. Deutsch launched a spirit division, employing a team dedicated to building the company’s spirit brands into industry leaders. In May of 2012, the company changed its name to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and the business continues to be a family run business, with Bill’s son Peter Deutsch serving as CEO.

Deutsch’s position as the fifth largest wine company in the U.S., as well as being renowned for its brand building prowess and ability to identify and fill consumer niches within the wine category, has led to the company being one of the most well respected importers in the industry. Under Deutsch’s direction the company has built numerous category leaders including: the #1 imported brand in the U.S., the #1 Australian brand in the U.S., and most recently Josh Cellars the #1 domestic brand above $12.00. Along the way, Bill Deutsch has won numerous industry accolades including Market Watch’s Industry Executive of the Year, Brandweek’s Marketer of the Year, Wine Enthusiast’s Importer of the Year, and Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award. He is on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Beverage Importers Member Wine Committee, a Médaille D’Honneur Comite National Des Vins De France, a Medal of Honor from the Mayor of Bordeaux, M. Alain Juppe;, and three Ordre National du Mérite Agricole honors. The Ordre National du Mérite Agricole is an order of merit established in France in 1883 to reward service to French agriculture. Bill was named Chevalier in 1986 by the French Government, promoted to Officier in 1992, and on November 3, 2011 Bill was promoted to the highest level of honor, Commandeur of the Ordre National du Mérite Agricole. On May 21, 2012 Bill received France’s prestigious Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest French decoration for military or civilian service. The Légion d’Honneur is awarded only for gallantry in action or for twenty years of distinguished service in peacetime.

Today, The Deutsch family is proud to acknowledge the enduring relationships with their suppliers, some of whom have been part of the family since the business began, including wine from Australia: [yellow tail], , [yellow tail] Bubbles, and Peter Lehmann; California: proprietary brands Josh Cellars, Joseph Carr, The Calling, and Eppa SupraFruta Sangria; Girard Winery, Kunde Family Estate; Washington: Skyfall; France: André Lurton, Hob Nob Vineyards, Sauvion et Fils, Italy: Barone Fini, Enza, Villa Pozzi; New Zealand: The Crossings; Portugal: Quinta Do Vale Meao; Spain: Mar De Frades, Cruz de Alba, and Ramón Bilbao Vinos Y Vinedos; Argentina: Ruta 22, and award-winning spirits including proprietary brand Redemption Rye and Bourbon; LICOR 43 (Spain), Luksusowa Vodka (Poland), and Villa Massa (Italy).

Bill Deutsch currently resides in Riverside, CT with his wife Fran. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Bill serves on the Board of the Bruce Museum.

Jerome B. Douglas

Jerry Douglas is senior vice president of the Biltmore Estate Wine Company, a business division of The Biltmore Company, which owns and operates Biltmore in Asheville, NC.

Douglas is responsible for the ongoing development of Biltmore Estate Wine Company, including the production and marketing of Biltmore’s varietal wines with which he has been involved since 1984. Today, Biltmore Estate Wine Company produces over 170,000 cases of wine each year and is the most visited winery in the United States.

Douglas has been active in many national wine industry organizations, having served as past chairman of the American Vintners’ Association (predecessor to Wine America). He is a founding member of the Wine Market Council where he currently serves as a board member. He has served on the national board of directors for the American Institute of Wine and Food and on the board of directors for the Congressional Wine Caucus Foundation. He is a past chairman of the North Carolina State University State Extension Advisory Council and a past CARET (Council for Agricultural, Research, Extension and Teaching) delegate for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Douglas was also an active participant of the 2008 NCSU Emerging Issues Forum and continues to support this organization in meeting the state’s critical infrastructure needs. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for the NC Wine and Grape Council.

Douglas is a graduate of the University of Georgia and has completed the University of North Carolina Advanced Management Program and the University of California Davis Wine Executive Program.

 

John D. Shulman

John D. Shulman is the founder of Juggernaut Partners, a private equity firm in Washington, DC. From 2001 through February 2009 he was a managing director at Allied Capital where he was also a member of the firm’s investment and management committees. Additionally, he is a founder of Greater China Partners, a private equity firm based in Beijing, China, making investments in China today.

Mr. Shulman is a member of the board of Akrimax Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Shulman graduated from the McIntyre School of Commerce at the University of Virginia in 1984.