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Senior Management
Ted Latimer
President
Ted started in the wine business in 1984, working at one of Canada’s first private wine retailers, The Wine Shop. Soon Ted was motivated to go into business for himself, creating Britannia Wine Merchants in 1990. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and in partnership with Don Bryant, he went on to found Free House in 1994, eventually expanding the business and relocating to British Columbia. Ted’s passion for good food, great music and wine helped form the foundation of the Free House family.
Don Bryant
CFO, Managing Director
Don stumbled on the wine business while working towards a post-graduate business degree. Initially starting out with J Webb Wine Merchants, he eventually decided to strike out for California to work harvest. At crush, he learned the business from top to bottom, before returning to Canada to co-found Free House Wine + Spirits. His Bachelor of Commerce (with honors, no less), provided the business foundation for Free House.
Christina Masciangelo
Fine Wine Sales Manager
Christina comes with over 14 years of experience in sales and marketing within the wine business. She has worked in all facets of the trade from retail sales to regional management.
Christina comes to Free House with extensive sales management experience from her time at Mark Anthony, Vintage/Maxxium and Empson. Over the last 4 years Christina has been the Regional Sales manager for Empson for N Alberta, Sask and Manitoba and has been teaching the WSET program in her spare time.
Sujinder Juneja
BC Sales Manager
Sujinder comes to Free House via the Toronto Music Industry, where he ran the Canadian office of a world-renowned independent Record Company. After deciding to expand his range within the field of "sensual arts", he worked for over a year-and-a-half as a journalist at a Canadian Food and Wine magazine, as well as part-time at a private fine wine retailer in Vancouver. Sujinder holds his advanced certification from both the WSET and ISG, and when he's not tending to his family and garden, he spends his spare time listening to new music and exploring fine wines and whiskys.
Gerald Gallant
Quebec & Maritimes Sales Manager
Gerald comes to Free House (Magnum) with 9 years of Sales & Marketing within the wine business. He has been managing the Quebec and Atlantic Provinces for the last 5 years and 4 years of managing the Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba market for the Trialto Group. Before this, he has worked in the food & beverage industry for over 20 years where he has gone from being a server to sommelier and maître d’ in a Five Diamond restaurant and in one of the Leading Hotels of the World. He has his Sommelier certificate from the ASP and was chosen as one of the Top 10 sommeliers in Canada by Wine Access Magazine.
Nathalie Mulder
Prairie Sales Manager
Nathalie was born in The Netherlands and moved to Canada when she was 4. After receiving her BA from the University of Alberta she went back for her MBA with a specialization in International Business. Nathalie has been in the industry for 9 years starting with a small microbrewery, Peak Brewing out of Canmore. After working with Mark Anthony Brands as a fine wine rep, and then Maxxium Canada for nearly 5 years, Nathalie came to Free House.
In her “spare” time, Nathalie loves to cook and is a National bodybuilder, currently 7th in the country and 2nd in the province. She also judges shows across the province for fitness/figure/bikini model and bodybuilding.
British Columbia Sales Division
Alfons Obererlacher
Sales Representative, Vancouver Island
A restaurant industry veteran, Alfons has concentrated his professional attention on wine for over two decades. His colorful career experience spans two continents and incorporates many different hats; Sommelier, wine consultant and educator, and sales representative, in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Canada.
Abigail Pyett
Senior Retail Specialist, Vancouver West, Fraser Valley, Delta
Abigail Pyett joined Free House in May of 2005 after serving an apprenticeship in the restaurant trade, focusing on staff training with particular emphasis on wine’s place on the menu, on the table and in the business plan. One of Abby’s discoveries was that some restaurants tended to be too casual about the returns available to them from an improved list and more knowledgable service. At Free House Abby serves the Lower Mainland’s suburban accounts, where her advice is welcomed.
Andrea Deacon
Sales Representative, Vancouver East, Richmond, Burnaby, & New Westminster
Andrea joined Free House in September 2008. Prior to joining our team, she was managing a private liquor store and wanted to expand her knowledge and fuel her passion of fine wines. Andrea has recently completed her Level 3 WSET and now has more spare time to pursue her other interests such as camping, traveling and spending time with family.
Joanna Dickinson
Sales Representative, BC Interior
Joanna joined Free House Wine and Spirits in August 2010. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Marketing and Sociology she moved to the Okanagan with the hopes of pursuing a career in the wine industry. Joanna has 8 years experience in the restaurant and customer service industry. She is eager to get started on her WSET courses to expand on her knowledge and passion for wines. Joanna is thrilled to be representing Free House Wines in the beautiful Okanagan!
Tara Holland
Logistics Manager
Tara comes to us with great enthusiasm and experience in the wine business with over 9 years experience at Medallion Wine Marketing and most recently at Whitefish.
Pilar Bradshaw
Office/Sales Coordinator
Pilar was born in Kelowna, so wine is in her blood! She moved to Calgary for school and received her BA in Communications with a minor in Latin American Studies from the University of Calgary. Pilar loves to travel and study and speaks fluent Spanish. She has been in the service industry for almost her entire work life and the past ten years have been spent with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. She made the move to Free House after coming back from maternity leave. Pilar loves the wine industry and has taken WSET courses in her spare time to learn as much as she can. Now, her spare time is spent learning the motherhood ropes with her one year old son.
Alberta Sales Division
Reed White
Sales Representative,Southern Alberta including Medicine Hat & Drumheller
Reed White joined Free House Wine + Spirits in March of 2008, having spent the last 15 years working in the Food & Beverage industry. Reed got his start in Calgary's restaurant scene before being hired by the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa in Grand Cayman and leaving for the Carribean. He worked in events for two years before moving into the 'AAA' four diamond restaurant Casa Havana (a Wine Spectator award winner). He soon took the position as Maitre D' and managed that restaurant and helped direct the wine program with the food and beverage team. After five years in Grand Cayman, Reed moved Kelowna BC and started working the 2007 crush under award winning wine maker, Eric von Krosigk. We look forward to Reed bringing his vast experience in the food and beverage industry, both locally and internationally, to Free House and our clients.
Brendan Jones
Sales Representative, Southern Alberta
Brendan Jones brings an extensive background in the restaurant industry to his new position, both in service and as a trainer. His experience includes Princess Cruises, and a number of fine dining restaurants and hotels. Brendan has also worked at a private retail shop in Vancouver and has just moved from Vancouver to join our Alberta team, based in Calgary. In addition to his vast work experience Brendan has earned the International Sommelier Guild’s Diploma!
Nicholas Tooke
Sales Representative, Northern Alberta
Nick joins us after fifteen years in the fine dining business, and three in boutique retail sales. He was sommelier to a five diamond, Small Luxury Hotel on Vancouver Island before moving to Edmonton in 2007. A published author with a fondness for all things fermented, he is planning a historical, non fiction account of the amicable marriage of wine and civilized society.
Amy Wilford
Merchandiser
Amy Wilford joined the Freehouse team in November 2009. She comes to us with a great passion for wine, which began from summers spent touring the wineries of the Okanagan. Amy got the "bug" & decided to broaden her knowledge & enrolled in the WSET courses. After which she wanted to get hands on experience in the wine industry. Following a brief position in a boutique wine store she came on board with Freehouse. In her spare time, she is most comfortable in her kitchen baking & cooking for friends & family. Her best critique is her 9 yr old daughter who is a foodie just like her mom
Saskatchewan and Manitoba Sales Division
Melanie Eldridge
Sales Representative
For the last 12 years, Melanie has been working in the Hospitality industry. She started as a server in bistro style restaurants, working her way up to managing fine dining establishments, where she was exposed to many a fine wine. Melanie’s career took her to managing a private wine boutique which nourished her love and knowledge of wine. Wanting to see a different aspect of the wine business she joined the sales team at Free House Wine + Spirits Ltd. in August 2006.
Ontario Sales Division
Rita Zlicic
Toronto Office
Rita brings to Free House her legendary people skills and a solid marketing background. After negotiating the hectic world of fashion for over 10 years, she has found her true passion in the wine business. With an enthusiasm for wine and a thirst for knowledge, Rita is set to effectively promote and manage wine in the Ontario market to ensure market presence.
Graeme Foote
Sales Representative
Maritime Sales Division
Michael LeBlanc
Sales Representative
Michael brings over 20 years of management and customer service experience in the Food & Beverage industry to Free House Wine + Spirits. He received his Marketing diploma in Business at the New Brunswick Community College. Before joining Free House Wine + Spirits, he spent two years at Alcool NB Liquor (ANBL) where he gained valuable insight and experience in the retail sales and marketing side of the wine and spirits industry in New Brunswick
Quebec Sales Division
Mélanie Da Silva-Besner
Sales Representative, Montreal Island
Melanie arrived to Free House Wine (Magnum) with 3 years experience from
both the retail and food industry. She has worked for the last three years as a
Retail Sales Associate for the SAQ, government control in Quebec and for over
one year in the food and beverage as a server and sommelière at la Maison du
Gouverneur. Melanie has been certified as a professional restaurant server and
has completed her AVS in Sommellerie, which certifies her as a Sommelière
at the Quebec Tourism and Hotel Institute. ITHQ is one of the most important
training institutions in North America specializing in the tourism, hotel and
restaurant services industry.
Outside of wine, Melanie’s interests are mostly based on travelling around the
world, being in contact with nature and wide open spaces and doing outdoor
activities such as camping and hiking.
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