Wine industry and wine education leader Jenny Hemmer has been named the new executive director of GuildSomm. Hemmer brings over 18 years of industry experience, with an energy, focus, and passion for connecting people to wine and beverage education, and she is excited to transform GuildSomm into a more dynamic and global community for wine professionals and enthusiasts.
“I am honored and excited to join GuildSomm with the shared vision to provide the best community for building wine, spirits, and beverage knowledge. For over a decade, GuildSomm has been a leading platform to promote learning and help members achieve their education goals. I can’t wait to get to know our members and welcome new ones from every point in the wine journey.”
Hemmer is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas, a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Specialist of Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators, and a WSET Diploma candidate through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. She began her role as executive director of GuildSomm on January 20, 2022.
Hemmer’s breadth of experience began in distributor sales and management, before a long career with E. & J. Gallo Winery. She held leadership roles in regional sales, sales training, talent acquisition, and corporate public relations and communications. Prior to joining GuildSomm, she directed wine and spirits education for Gallo, overseeing advanced education and certification programs for employees, distributors, and customers while also leading Gallo’s digital learning platform.
GuildSomm’s board chair Gray Randolph shared, “After a very competitive global search, we are excited to have Jenny join us at GuildSomm. Jenny’s extensive relationships, history of leading teams, deep experience in wine education, and involvement with various channels of the industry make her a perfect fit for us. We are also excited for her to expand the breadth of our services well beyond the US.” Randolph continued, “Jenny’s integration into our team and community will be seamless, and we see real synergy with our current staff and membership. As a board and staff, we welcome Jenny and look forward to the great things we will accomplish together to serve our loyal membership community.”
About GuildSomm:
GuildSomm is a nonprofit international membership organization for wine professionals that elevates the wine and beverage community through industry education. GuildSomm connects its community of beverage professionals from across the globe with a range of educational content on its website, GuildSomm.com, and through events, videos, and a popular podcast.