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Rajeev Samant

Promoter, MD & CEO

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Rajeev Samant will go down in the annals of wine lore as the man who founded India’s main wine region in 1999. Born and schooled in Mumbai, Rajeev headed to California's Stanford University for an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management. He then worked for Oracle Corp. in Silicon Valley before heading back to India in 1993, determined to bring the Californian spirit of innovation to his homeland.

In 1999, he established Sula Vineyards, Nashik’s first winery. This historic move transformed Nashik into India’s Wine Capital, and today, Sula Vineyards is globally recognized as India’s most important wine producer.

Rajeev had innumerable firsts in India - revolutionizing wine tourism with the first winery tasting room in 2005, first vineyard resort - Beyond in 2007, and the country’s first vineyard music festival - Sulafest, well known to music lovers across the country. His entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in creating a thriving local wine industry in India and has brought global recognition, and a fan following, for Indian wine and the Sula brand.

Karan Vasani

Chief Operating Officer

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Karan Vasani is the chief operating officer and the chief wine maker of our Company. He has been working with our Company since October 1, 2013 in various capacities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from University of Mumbai and a graduate diploma in viticulture and oenology from Lincoln University, New Zealand. He was awarded the WSET Level 2 Intermediate Certificate and Level 3 Advance Certificate in Wines and Spirits by the Wines and Spirit Education Trust Limited. He has previously worked with CRISIL Limited and Cuvaison Estate Wines in various capacities.

Abhishek Kapoor

Chief Financial Officer

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Abhishek Kapoor is a seasoned finance leader with more than two decades of experience in building and leading teams. He has rich experience working in FMCG, Media, and Auto space and has demonstrated his capabilities in diverse areas, including Profit and Loss (P&L), Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Planning, Business and Financial Performance Monitoring, Financial Accounting, Controlling, Costing & Budgeting, Funds Management, Taxation, and Liasoning with Government Authorities and Banks etc. Abhishek's journey has taken him through esteemed organizations, including Godrej Consumer Products, Pepsi Co., JK Tyres, and HT Media, in multiple geographies. Abhishek joins us from Wagh Bakri Tea Group (Gujarat Tea Processors and Packers Limited), where he holds the esteemed position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Under his strategic financial guidance, the company has achieved notable milestones and solidified its position in the market.

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Kerry Damskey

Master Winemaker

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Currently the Master Winemaker for Sula Vineyards, Kerry Damskey played an integral role in the founding of the company and supported Rajeev Samant's decision to first grow wine grape farms on Nashik soil. Kerry has worked for wineries all over California and across the world to hone his wine knowledge, eventually establishing himself as one of California's best winemakers.

He consults with the Sula team several times during the year to jointly review winemaking practices and the latest wines from our vineyards. After his first visit to India, he was convinced that Nashik was a singularly unique location that would yield distinctive fruit, and create great wines. Kerry's familiarity with the Indian terrain, coupled with his focus on constantly improving the quality of our wines, has led to Sula being consistently known the world over for best wines in India.