CO-CEO
CO-CEO
Want to nerd out about wine? Can’t stop recommending your favorite new drink? You’re the right fit for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. Join the crew and enjoy working with likeminded, passionate people.
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Executive V.P. Sales
Jason serves as Executive Vice President of Sales for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. In this role he oversees all sales, marketing, customer service, and supplier relations functions related to the wine, spirits, and nonalcoholic beverages that Great Lakes Wine & Spirits sells and delivers.
Prior to assuming the role of Executive Vice President of Sales, Jason held the position of Vice President of Wine Sales for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. Jason has held multiple sales and leadership positions in the beverage alcohol industry on both the distributor and supplier tiers. Beginning his tenure with J. Lewis Cooper Co as a wine sales representative then taking positions within E&J Gallo Winery and Monarch Beverage Company before coming back to Michigan in 2006.
Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Central Michigan University.
Executive V.P. Finance
In his role as Executive Vice President, Finance, John Queen has financial oversight for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. This includes budgeting, forecasting, reporting, investment, financing, and risk management. Prior to joining Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, John served in a series of progressive roles at Health Alliance Plan, Kmart Corporation, and MSX International.
Since 2018, he has served on the Board of Directors of Bank Michigan which is headquartered in Ann Arbor. In addition, John is on the Finance Committee of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesaler’s Association which is a leading trade association for the industry.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Administration from the University of Michigan (Dearborn) in Finance and Managerial Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University with a focus in Finance.
Executive V.P. Governmental Affairs
As EVP of Governmental Affairs Louis works closely with all legislators and regulators at the local, state, and federal levels. Louis is licensed as a lobbyist with the state of Michigan. Louis is a key member on committees for both the Michigan Beer and Wine Association and the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America. As a gubernatorial appointee, Louis held a statewide education office. Prior to this assignment Louis was the Executive Vice President of Operations for ten years. Before that Louis had held senior management positions with UBCR/ TOMRA, Powers Distributing and Pepsi-Cola. Louis earned both a bachelors and master’s degrees from Michigan State University.
Executive V.P. I.S.
Mike Arkison serves as EVP, Chief Information Officer for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. In this role, Mike is responsible for developing and executing a holistic technology strategy to ensure Great Lakes has industry leading technology, processes, and analytics.
Prior to joining Great Lakes, Mike spent over 25 years developing, selling, and delivering marketing analytics and business optimization solutions to automotive OEMs such as General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda, and Ford. Mike has held diverse executive roles such as Chief Information Officer, Global Account Executive, and Vice President of International Operations where he launched and developed business units in China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.
Mike currently serves as the Chairman of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Operations and IT Council.
Mike earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University where he majored Computer Science and received his MBA from University of Detroit-Mercy.
Executive V.P. Human Resources
Stephanie Lyons serves as the Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. Stephanie began her career working in sales for Marriott International transitioning to the insurance industry in 2002. She spent 11 years working in Sales and Account Management specializing in administration and cost management of employee benefit programs for employers of 50-2000 employees. In 2013 she accepted the role of Corporate Human Resource Manager for a plastics manufacturer in the automotive industry. Stephanie joined Great Lakes Wine & Spirits as Vice President of Human Resources in 2016. In her current role she is responsible for all areas of Human Resources.
Born and raised in Michigan, Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.
V.P. National Accounts
Heather Kerr serves as Vice President of National Accounts for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. In this role she is responsible for the management of National Account Headquarter Sales and Category Management as well as the Metro Chain Sales Team and in-store execution. She is focused on developing strong and collaborative retail partnerships by offering market knowledge and key category insights to help drive business results. Before returning to Great Lakes Wine & Spirits in 2010, she held positions of increasing responsibility, in Sales, Management, Analytics, Category Management, and National Accounts Sales at J. Lewis Cooper Company, E&J Gallo Winery, and PepsiCo. Heather holds a Bachelors of Science from Michigan State University as well as a certificate in Executive Life and Leadership Coaching.
V.P. Wine Sales
Brandon serves as Vice President of Wine Sales for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. He is responsible for the Brand Management team along with overseeing all wine, seltzer, RTD and nonalcoholic sales for the state.
Prior to starting in his current role as Vice President of Wine Sales, Brandon was the Sales Director for Metro Retail Wine. During his tenure in the beverage alcohol industry, Brandon has held various sales and leadership positions for both the distributor and supplier tier. Starting his career with J. Lewis Cooper Co. as a wine sales representative, Brandon then worked inside Henry Fox Distributing and the E&J Gallo Winery.
Brandon holds a Bachelors of Science in Food Marketing from Western Michigan University.
V.P. Spirits Sales
Gary serves as the Vice President of Spirit Sales for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits.
Gary began his career in the beverage alcohol industry as a sales representative with the J. Lewis Cooper Co. in 1993.
After gaining valuable experience in sales and leadership positions on the wine side of our business Gary transitioned to the spirits business in 1997 when the state of Michigan privatized the warehouse and delivery of spirits.
Prior to his current role Gary successfully oversaw several key sales and management roles within the spirits division. As the Vice President of Sales for the Spirits Division, Gary is responsible for all sales, marketing, and supplier relations relative to spirits.
Gary is a graduate of Central Michigan University.
V.P. Sales Development
Rick currently holds the position of Vice President of Sales Development at Great Lakes Wine & Spirits—Michigan’s largest Wine & Spirits Wholesaler. Rick oversees the company’s fine wine division: Little Guy Wine Company. Additionally, Rick oversees the marketing division as well as supervises all training & education at the company: “knowledge is a tool, not a weapon” he likes to point out.
A former restaurateur, retailer, and for over 35 years as a wine wholesaler, Rick is as passionate about wine as anyone and is particularly excited to discover new products and explore new categories in the industry.
V.P. Operations
Mark serves as the Vice President of Operations for Great Lakes Wine & Spirits. Mark began his career with J. Lewis Cooper Co. then moving on to hold varied levels of sale management positions within General Wine & Liquor Company. When the two companies merged in 2008 Mark oversaw the Spirit Division before moving on to oversee Warehouse and Operations.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Eastern Michigan University.
