Pioneering Italian wine exporter Empson & Co. announces father to daughter leadership change.

Empson & Co., a leading exporter of fine Italian wines worldwide, announced that after 45 years in the wine business, owner and shareholder Neil Empson will appoint Tara Empson to succeed him in his role at Empson USA, the U.S. subsidiary company of Empson & Co.

Tara who has been involved with the company since 2006, will now oversee the management and operations of Empson USA. Since 2014, Tara has managed the relationship with supplier clients, which are currently exported in 28 countries worldwide. As an owner and active board member of Empson & Co., Tara will continue to lead an impressive portfolio of brands including Fuligni, Conterno Fantino and Pietradolce. Tara Empson represents a new generation of company leadership who will maintain the Empson family legacy and ensure continuity for the business.

“Family, integrity, leadership, and authenticity are the four key strengths that have enabled the Empson Company to establish its standout positioning as a pioneer of Italian wine. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this company to new ventures while following my father’s legacy.” Tara Empson

When Tara started full time at the family company, she took on numerous managerial responsibilities including management of client trips to Italy, support for the wineries, and execution of sales and marketing initiatives for the Caribbean, New Zealand, Bermuda, and U.S. markets. Tara’s desire is to take the business to a new level by improving partnerships between the U.S. and Italian teams to increase efficiency and productivity.

Furthermore, Tara’s perspective as a member of the Millennial generation and her distinctly global outlook will help shape Empson’s future by honoring their familial client relationships while seeking new and exciting partnerships. In the long term, Tara’s mission is for Empson to export to all he markets worldwide, taking the company fully global. Neil Empson comments, “The route to market has changed so the challenge is far greater today than when we started Empson in 1972. The quality of our portfolio will continue to play a major role in achieving those goals.”

Founded nearly 50 years ago by Neil and Maria Empson, Empson & Co. was one of the early advocates for fine Italian wine in the U.S., discovering, introducing and building many of today’s leading Italian wine brands including Gaja, Conti Costanti and Marcarini, and helping to introduce new denominations of Italian wines to American wine drinkers. Armed with a philosophy of one family doing business with another, Empson & Co. established Empson USA in 1991 to keep up with the growing demand for their wines in the U.S.

Neil Empson comments, “Tara’s tenacity to lead is decisive and will play a key role in maintaining and growing Empson in a leadership role of excellence. I’m confident in Tara’s abilities and the team we have in place to support this change.” Tara said, “I attribute the company’s success to my father, who is a true pioneer of Italian wine. He believed in Italy’s potential and made it his mission to show the world that Italy is the home of wine excellence.”

To continue to oversee operations from a global standpoint, Tara will work in concert with Phil Langford at Empson USA in Milan; Mike Conroy at Empson USA in Virginia; and Christopher Ellyn at Empson Canada.