Exclusive: Dan Leese Stepping Down As CEO Of Hotaling & Co.

Industry veteran Dan Leese, who has led San Francisco-based importer, distiller, and marketer Hotaling & Co. over the past five years, is set to step down as CEO at the end of June. Hotaling said its board has initiated a search to find the company’s next leader. Leese will stay on as an advisor through March 2026.

“It will be almost six years since I came to Hotaling and we’ve been able to achieve virtually everything we set out to accomplish,” Leese told SND. “Hotaling is a very special company with passionate, knowledgeable people working with great suppliers on a world-class portfolio. That’s pretty special. I am looking forward to the next challenge, whatever that might be, and there will be time to think about it once I am done here.”

“Dan has been instrumental in reshaping Hotaling into one of the U.S.’s leading distillers and importers of artisanal spirits and cocktail essentials with our roots deeply embedded in the on-premise cocktail culture,” said Hotaling & Co chair Emma Fox. “We thank Dan for successfully leading us through the pandemic, super-charging our growth, consolidating our route-to-market, growing our digital presence, and strategically molding our world-class portfolio.”

Among the key initiatives Leese oversaw at Hotaling during his tenure was a nationwide distribution alignment with Southern Glazer’s, which helped open new growth avenues for a portfolio of owned brands that includes Old Potrero and Hirsch whiskies as well as Junipero gin. Hotaling’s imported spirits lineup is led by Nikka Japanese whisky, Writers’ Tears Irish whiskey, Old Pulteney single malt Scotch, Kavalan whisky, Hine Cognac, Fiero Tequila, and the Luxardo cordials line, among others.

Founded in 1993 as Anchor Distilling by Fritz Maytag, Hotaling was acquired by Tony Foglio and Berry Bros & Rudd in 2010. The company changed its name to Hotaling in 2018 after selling its Anchor Brewing division to Sapporo Holdings for $85 million.—Daniel Marsteller

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