Judy Leissner – the winemaker from China
Judy Leissner is a speaker in Cluster C – Fields of opportunities
At first glance,
Judy Leissner’s company “Grace Vineyard” may seem unusual. After all, winegrowers are hardly at the
cutting edge of the Chinese economic revolution. As the world’s sixth largest wine producer, however,
China is already a secret big name in the wine industry.
And more importantly, the country’s huge domestic
market harbours enormous potential. It is precisely this niche which Grace Vineyard is catering to,
and thereby accommodating changing consumer behaviour and tastes in China’s mid-range price segment.
Judy Leissner took over the management of the
family business in 2002, at the age of just 24, five years after the winery was set up by her father,
the entrepreneur Chun-keung Chan. Neither father nor daughter had any experience or expertise in producing
wine.
Judy
Leissner studied Psychology in Michigan, before working for Goldman Sachs in her home town of Hong Kong,
where the family business is now based. However, the cultivation area is located inland, in the northern
Chinese province of Shanxi, and now produces well over a million bottles.
The grapes, including
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chardonnay varieties, are pressed paying strict attention
to French wine making standards. Under Judy Leissner’s management, the company has worked its way into
the profit zone.
It is also starting to test the waters in Europe’s
established wine markets, where it is earning much recognition for its Bordeaux-style wines. As a company,
Grace Vineyard is also attracting a high level of attention and even features in Harvard Business School
case studies.
Judy Leissner (CN)
Judy Leissner is President and Chief Executive Officer of Grace Vineyard. A family-owned enterprise, the company has become one of the leading wine manufacturers in China. Its wines have received a great deal of praise in the traditional wine markets around the world.