Timothy Persson has been named Chief Executive Officer at The Hess Collection following the departure of Gary Bulger, who has been President at Hess since 2009. Persson, a member of the Hess family, is also Chairman of The Hess Collection board, and a Hess Family Estates Managing Director.

"Gary Bulger's record with The Hess Collection is truly remarkable, and one of long-standing dedication and loyalty," said Persson, who noted that Bulger first joined Hess as a Regional Sales Manager in 1995 before moving to National Sales Manager in 1999, and ultimately to President. "I would like to thank Gary for his enormous contribution to Hess over nearly two decades," he added.

Founder Donald Hess retired in 2011 and named family members Persson and Christoph Ehrbar as Hess Family Estates Managing Directors, with oversight responsibilities for the various wineries in the portfolio. Persson, who has been involved in developing a revitalized strategic direction for The Hess Collection, is moving to Napa.

The Hess Collection focuses on wines crafted from Mount Veeder, and has been a leader in sustainable farming in Napa since the winery's founding in 1978.

Hess Family Estates produces terroir driven wines on four continents, and includes the wines of The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the Napa Valley; Artezin from California's North Coast; Sequana, highlighting Sonoma's Russian River Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands of the Central Coast; MacPhail Family Wines, with Pinot Noir expressions from California and Oregon's greatest growing regions; Peter Lehmann wines from Australia's Barossa Valley; Colomé and Amalaya from the Salta Province of Argentina; and Glen Carlou from Paarl, South Africa.