Matthew Wood

About Matthew Wood

As a transformational leader in the wine and beverage industry, I bring over two decades of experience driving growth, streamlining operations, and building brands that resonate. I work at high tempo and thrive in dynamic, changing environments.Currently serving as COO/CFO of Hess Persson Estates, I oversee multi-site winery operations, capital planning, and enterprise-wide financial strategy. My leadership has helped scale revenue, optimize production, and enhance brand positioning across domestic and global markets.I’ve led high-performing teams through change, developed long-range strategic plans, and worked directly with boards and investors to deliver sustained value. With a foundation in wine business finance & operations, I merge creative brand vision with a concrete strategic roadmap.I hold dual degrees from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA from The UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.Key strengths: Strategic Planning | Enterprise Leadership | Brand & Market Expansion | Financial Stewardship | Winery Operations | Board Engagement | M&A | Contracts & Legal | Culture Building

Experience

1. COO CFO

   Hess Persson Estates

   Mar 2019 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   As COO/CFO of Hess Persson Estates, I lead cross-functional teams across multiple winery operations, aligning financial discipline with strategic execution to drive growth, efficiency, and long-term shareholder value. I report directly to the CEO and Board to shape the company’s strategic direction while ensuring operational excellence and financial rigor.Key Responsibilities:• Lead strategic planning initiatives focused on driving luxury and premium brand growth, operational scale, and sustainable margin improvement.• Oversee end-to-end business operations, full visibility and oversight responsibility for ongoing business operations in all departments.• Manage full P&L and direct all functions to achieve economic profit, including performance management, forecasting, and capital budgeting, with a focus on EBITDA and free cash flow.• Serve as executive liaison to the CEO and Board, distill all performance insights, risk analysis, and long-term strategic recommendations. • Direct capital and infrastructure projects, such as winery expansion, facility modernization, vineyard installations, adoption/application of productivity software solutions, etc.• Develop and mentor senior leadership teams, fostering a high-performance culture centered on fact-based accountability, creativity, and results • Lead M&A and strategic partnerships, directly managed >$80m of asset acquisitions and disposals, including due diligence and pre/post-deal assessments• Align operations with brand and market strategy in close collaboration with marketing and sales leaders, ensuring execution supports brand identity, consumer expectations, and global revenue objectives.

Education

• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

  Bachelor of Science - BS

• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

• University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Skills

• Product Strategies
• Product Development
• Product Engineering
• Business Development
• Production Planning
• Marketing Strategy
• Continuous Improvement
• Financial Modeling
• Corporate Strategy Formulation
• Winemaking
• Viticulture
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Business Planning
• Wine
• Fmcg
• Wine Tasting