2nd Annual Tourism Conference

Brian Baker
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Chateau Montelena

Brian Baker serves as the Director of Consumer Direct Sales and Marketing at Chateau Montelena where he oversees all consumer direct sales and marketing efforts including tasting room, wine clubs, hospitality special events and e-commerce.

Before joining Chateau Montelena, Baker served as the Vice President of Consumer Relationship Marketing at Jackson Family Wines (Kendall-Jackson) based in Santa Rosa, where he was responsible for enterprise direct sales growth, strategy, infrastructure development, and maintenance and database management.

Prior to joining Jackson Family Wines, Baker spent 20+ years in the travel industry, including a post at the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) where he served as VP Marketing. While in San Francisco, he pioneered the first destination “Foodie Marketing” strategy, created the successful citywide “Dine about Town” program and created the “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” line of merchandise. Before joining the SFCVB he also served as the Executive Director of Worldwide Marketing for Dollar Rent a Car, a worldwide car rental agency, based in Los Angeles until its sale to Chrysler Corp which relocated the company to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Baker began his career in marketing and publishing in Torrance California at Del Amo News which he founded.

Baker is an accomplished professional speaker, consultant and facilitator, speaking nationally on subjects including Technology, Foodie Tourism and Branding.

Baker is a graduate of USC with a BA in Journalism and Speech Communications.

He serves on the board of directors of the California Travel Industry Association where he chairs the Sessions committee for the annual Conference on Tourism and also chairs the Session committee for the annual Consumer Direct Wine Symposium which benefits the Coalition for Free Trade and Free the Grapes.

Baker has passed the introductory level of the Court of Master Sommeliers program and is currently studying for the certified level.

He is an avid wine collector and wine judge, serving as an adjudicator at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the San Francisco International Spirits Competition.