Vanguard International USA LLC has announced that Ethan Williams has been promoted to vice president of global sales and marketing.
“This is another important day for Vanguard International and Vanguard Direct as we continue to make structural changes designed to reinforce and grow the business for the group as a whole,” said Dirk Winkelmann, president of Vanguard International and Vanguard Direct.
Williams has been an integral part of the Vanguard Direct team in his role as sales manager for the past two years and with this transfer and promotion, he will shift his focus and expertise to the Vanguard International USA team, as vice president of global sales and marketing. Williams will relocate to the company’s head office in Issaquah, Washington and commences his new role on September 1, 2023.
Right: Ethan Williams
“Since day one as a member of the Vanguard International Group, I've dreamt of the opportunity to contribute on a more global scale,” said Williams. "The privilege to join the team Asiafruit 2022 in Bangkok further reinforced this desire and now the dream is coming true thanks to the confidence our leadership has in my ability to generate value through close collaboration with you and our teammates around the world. I look forward to further learning, growing and excelling alongside my peers.”
Prior to working at Vanguard, Williams worked for seven years in sales and sales planning at Pretty Lady Vineyards, a large California grape grower, packer and shipper. During this time, Pretty Lady Vineyards went through significant growth including becoming a primary grower of Sun World IP varieties.
While Williams transitions to his role at Vanguard International with a strong background in North America, and in the California grape industry in particular, he also gained in his time at Vanguard Direct an in-depth knowledge of the import deal to include responsibility for many of the company’s key customers, as well as oversight for port and storage operations.
"His performance, professionalism, enthusiasm and open-minded approach to looking at developing the business, plus his interest in the international side of our business, made him an ideal choice to join the team,” said Winkelmann. “With Ethan’s skill set and existing knowledge of the company culture and systems, we expect him to exceed expectations in the role. We know our team will support the transition. Ethan will be missed at Vanguard Direct, but the value we believe he will add to Vanguard International will make us all stronger for it.”
Williams will be traveling through Asia during his first days in the new role, which will include attending AsiaFruit Logistica in Hong Kong with the executive team and his Vanguard teammates.
For more information:
Andrea Bava
Vanguard International USA LLC
Tel: +1 (778) 908-1764
[email protected]
https://www.vanguardteam.com/