Meet the Team

Michael is a Silicon Valley innovator and entrepreneur who has been seduced by the world of wine. He has started and built several successful technology companies, including big data pioneer, Splunk (Nasdaq: SPLK). His foundation, FOUNDER.org, has invested in more than 125 young innovators applying technology to some of the world’s most challenging problems.

Michael and his family are the fifth family to steward the storybook Château de Pommard, in Burgundy, and have converted the property into a beacon of biodynamic viticulture.

He graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics where he is recognized as a Drexel 100 top living alumni. Michael also holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and he is a certified Wine & Spirit Education Trust wine professional.

Jacob knows how to tell stories. At VIVANT, he leads our Experience Producers who make the personal stories of the world’s responsible winemakers come alive. Storytelling has always been central to his work.

Previously, Jacob was a contributing foreign correspondent covering France and Europe for National Public Radio (NPR), Deutsche Welle, and was an art and culture contributing writer for The New York Times.

Originally from Texas, Jacob grew up helping on the family ranch. So he has a real appreciation for the challenges Mother Nature dishes out and a soft spot for hardworking winemakers. Jacob has a double master’s in journalism and international affairs from Sciences Po Paris and holds a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification.

Driven by a customer mindset, Benoît is a sales leader. Before joining VIVANT, he spent more than 11 years between Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with some of the biggest names in the wine industry, including Moët Hennessy, ASC Fine Wines, and Sarment.

Benoît is passionate about new cultures and sees wine as a way to bridge cultural divides. Connecting the world to wine is his mission. He brings his expertise in developing international sales and scaling sales operations to the VIVANT team.

Benoît attended Neoma Business School, where he graduated with a Master of Management, Business, and Economics. He is also a graduate of 3iS - Institut International de l’Image et du Son with a Masters Degree in Media and Production, and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Victoria brings business operations and financial expertise to VIVANT. She loves driving the business to achieve financial objectives, forecasting, and managing operations to ensure success. Originally from Lyon, Victoria most recently managed Sales, Logistics, and Budgeting for Ralph Lauren Europe in Geneva, contributing to a turnover of 7 billion euros.

Previously she was with the team at Disney in Paris and Air France-KLM in Madrid and Barcelona. At VIVANT, Victoria manages finance, customer care, logistics, and human resources, with a constant eye on designing and implementing responsible and sustainable practices.

Victoria is a graduate of the Lyon School of Management (IAE) with a Master in International Trade, and she has a certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Originally from Champagne, Vanessa is our head of wine education. She is a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified Educator and Diploma holder and a student in the Master of Wine program. Vanessa leads our Education and Partners team, finding responsible wine producers and great-tasting wines from across the globe to feature on VIVANT. She also develops WSET training for consumers and wine professionals at École V.

Before her career in wine, Vanessa worked around the world in consumer products and entertainment with Philips Electronics and Warner Brothers. She graduated with a Master in Management from SKEMA Business School and an MBA in International Marketing from San Francisco State University.

Preston leads our global team of Wine Advisors, empowering them to share their passion for regions, producers, and specific cuveés. To hear Preston describe the aromas and tastes of a wine is to fall in love. His incredible knowledge of wine is contagious.

Before joining VIVANT, Preston was the founder of a successful Paris-based wine tourism and education business, welcoming private clients from around the world to learn about the magic of old world wines.

Preston holds the Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) as well as a Master’s in Global Hospitality Management from Georgia State University.

Karlos brings production design and multimedia magic to VIVANT. He leads our rockstar production team of video editors, photographers, and graphic designers. Obsessed with new technology and the evolution of media, he uses existing and developing technologies to create sleek, immersive, interactive experiences that entertain, transport, and educate our members.

Karlos was previously a Lead Designer for NBC News Primetime in New York City and is the co-founder of Orbix360º extended reality creation and playback system.

He holds a Master’s in Studio and Digital Media from the Universitaet der Kuenste in Berlin and a Master’s in Graphic Communications Management and Technology from New York University. Karlos also has a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification.

Lina is our digital marketing rockstar. She leads our online marketing strategy and campaigns across all channels. Lina grew up in the Swedish mountains, where she often visits to hit the slopes.

Before joining VIVANT, she was in the online travel business with Ebookers, Expedia and several startups, where she was responsible for digital revenue growth. Lina leads a team of talented online marketers, responsible for connecting us with wine lovers and curious minds from all over the world.

Lina graduated in Business Administration and Marketing from Stockholm University and has a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification.

Emmanuel is our viticultural artist, scientist, and sorcerer, guiding the way we think about sustainable agriculture, responsible winemaking, and the role the cosmos plays in wine. He started his love affair with nature in 1990 at Josmeyer in Alsace, tending vineyards and making wine by applying the biodynamic principles of Rudolf Steiner.

He later joined Château Vannières in Bandol where he learned the magic of clay and limestone soils. In 2007, Manu returned home to Burgundy and joined the team at Château de Pommard. During his tenure, he has been at the center of resurrecting the soils of the historic Clos Marey-Monge, achieving AB Organic certification in 2019. Now he is overseeing the conversion of Burgundy’s largest monopole to biodynamic farming.

Emmanuel was recognized in 2017 by L’Etoffe Des Terroirs with the Winemaker in Excellence award. He graduated as an agronomist from ENESAD in Dijon, France.

Peter Vukovic leads our innovation initiatives and manages our technology team creating the VIVANT magic. He has deep expertise in user-centric design, multimedia experiences, and e-commerce. Nevertheless, Peter is happiest with his hands on a keyboard writing code.

Before joining VIVANT in 2019, Peter was the Chief Technology Officer at Château de Pommard where he designed and built an end-to-end multi-channel order fulfillment system for the wine industry that today serves more than 100,000 customers.

Previously, Peter was Creative Services Director at Aquarius Ogilvy, and CTO of FOUNDER.org, where he mentored technology startups that are now collectively valued at more than $750M. He graduated from Banja Luka College of Communications Kappa Phi with a Bachelor’s in Communications.