DAVID VON STROH has more than ten years of investment banking and corporate advisory experience that includes mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and equity and debt financings. Prior to joining Zepponi & Company, David served as a Vice President with MC Advisors, where he provided sell-side and buy-side investment banking representation to middle market companies specializing in the food, beverage and technology industries. Preceding his employment with MC Advisors, David served as an investment banker at Wood Warren & Co., a San Francisco Bay Area middle market investment bank. While at Wood Warren & Co., he completed numerous transactions in the beverage, consumer products, manufacturing, business services and technology industries. David began his investment banking career on Wall Street in New York City where he worked for Chase and then JP Morgan. While on Wall Street, David worked on and completed numerous transactions for multinational corporations.

David earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver majoring in Finance and Marketing. David holds a Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 79 (Investment Banking Representative), and Series 63 (California Securities Representative) securities license.

DENISE WEINERT joined Zepponi & Company as an Associate in the last quarter of 2011. Denise’s primary responsibilities include providing client support, coordinating client communications and managing document workflow throughout the transaction process. Denise is also responsible for maintaining the firm’s proprietary information systems.

Prior to joining Zepponi & Company, Denise was an administrative assistant with several notable international law firms based in Los Angeles, Denver and, most recently, Silicon Valley where she specialized in the areas of corporate law, and mergers and acquisitions. Denise moved to Sonoma County in 2010 and is enjoying applying her professionalism, knowledge and experience
at Zepponi & Company.

MARIO ZEPPONI has extensive experience performing valuations and negotiating and structuring purchase, sale and lease transactions. Mario has served as a transaction advisor to several wineries, including wine brands, winery estates and parties seeking to create strategic alliances. Prior to forming Zepponi & Company, Mario practiced law as a corporate, real estate and winery attorney. He has extensive expertise in representing sellers, purchasers, and operators of wineries, succession planning issues, and negotiating and drafting asset and stock purchase agreements, buy-sell agreements, vineyard leases and development agreements, grape purchase and processing agreements, and sales and marketing agreements.

Mario received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and his law and MBA degrees from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He has served on several winery, business and community non-profit advisory boards.


 
 
JOE CIATTI has more than forty years of wine industry experience, a deep network of industry influencers, and a long track-record of high profile vineyard and winery transactions in California, Oregon, and Washington.

He was born to be in the wine industry. Joe's grandfather, Guiseppe Bagnani, owned Sonoma County's Geyser Peak Winery
in Alexander Valley for several decades after Prohibition ended.
His early accomplishments included establishing Joseph W. Ciatti Company and growing it into the world’s largest brokerage of grapes and bulk wines, with offices around the world. In 2005, he became Chairman and CEO of Vintage Wine Trust, a real estate investment trust that was devoted to vineyard and winery properties. Joe received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon.

MAGGIE KNIBBS is the director of operations for Zepponi & Company.  She is responsible for directing the administrative and general operations of the firm, including finance, accounting and human resources matters.  Prior to joining Zepponi & Company, Maggie was the operations manager, working with Joe Ciatti at Vintage Wine Trust, a real estate investment trust devoted exclusively to acquiring and leasing winery and vineyard properties.  In addition to her operational responsibilities, while at Vintage Wine Trust Maggie dealt with winery and vineyard owners and prospective tenants, investors and financiers. 

Maggie has a product management and marketing background in broadcasting, the music industry, entertainment software and insurance.  Maggie completed business school in the United Kingdom and, before moving to California, supported the principals of an independent news media company on the south coast of England.

JESSICA BIRD is an Associate with Zepponi & Company. From beginning to end, Jessica sees organization as the key to a successful transaction and a satisfied client. Her primary responsibilities include reviewing and facilitating the exchange of due diligence materials, managing all closing and escrow matters, and preparing and managing transaction data rooms. Jessica has strong communications and computer skills which allow her to excel in managing the due diligence and closing process.

Jessica began working with Mario Zepponi in August 2007. She has assisted in the closing of several winery transactions, including White Cottage Ranch, Merus, Kuleto Estate Winery, Roy Estate Winery, Murphy-Goode Estate and Chalk Hill Estate Winery & Vineyards, as well as a facility lease for Greenfield Wine Company.

Previous to Zepponi & Company, Jessica was employed in the legal field, working on matters ranging from family law to corporate and class action litigation. She also has a background in graphic design and restaurant management. Jessica is active in animal rescue, and enjoys spending her spare time with her husband and their rescue and foster animals.

ANGELA BRIGGS has worked as an Associate with Zepponi & Company since its inception in 2009. Angela’s primary job responsibilities focus on marketing winery opportunities, establishing and coordinating client relations, and reviewing and facilitating the exchange of due diligence materials. Her personal communication skills and passion for the wine industry have proven to be invaluable assets to the company. Angela is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson.

Raised in Sonoma County, Angela assists in community activities and public relations. She has assisted with Stockings for the Troops; coordinated work related Holiday canned food drives and Toys for Tots projects. Angela graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
CODY JENNINGS has worked with Zepponi & Company since 2009. Prior to joining Zepponi & Company the firm, Cody was a senior financial analyst at Jackson Family Wines, Inc., where he managed all farming-related finance and accounting matters for the company’s portfolio of wineries.

As an Associate at Zepponi & Company, Cody plays an active role in the firm’s transaction review and assessment processes, performing business valuations and working directly with clients to develop stra- tegic marketing materials. He was actively involved in the closing of several winery transactions, including Chalk Hill Estate Winery & Vineyards and Four Vines.

Cody received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Sonoma State University, where he graduated magna cum laude.
MATT FRANKLIN Matt has over fifteen years of corporate finance advisory experience, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, valuation, and technical accounting. Matt was previously a managing director at Demeter Group in San Francisco, where he provided sell-side and buy-side investment banking services, with a specialization in the wine industry, to food and beverage companies. His earliest work in the wine industry began at MKF in St. Helena, and prior to that he was with KPMG Investment Management Services. Matt's professional credentials include certified public accountant (CPA) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) charter-holder. Matt also holds the following securities registrations: Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 79 (Investment Banking Representative), and Series 63 (California Securities Representative).