Christopher Watt has joined Spirit of Gallo as general manager, bringing the former Branca USA chief executive into GALLO’s spirits business with an early focus on teams, commercial partners and distributor execution.
Spirit of Gallo has appointed Christopher Watt as general manager, adding an executive with experience across spirits brand development and US market operations as the business prepares for its next phase of growth.
Watt started the role in July 2026 after more than four years as chief executive of Branca USA. Announcing the appointment, he said his first months would be spent working with internal teams, commercial partners and the company’s distributor network to understand where the business is performing well and where growth can be accelerated.
“My immediate priority is simple: listen and learn,” Watt said. “Over the next few months, I’ll be spending my time on the ground with our internal teams, our partners, and our distributor network to understand where we are winning and to identify how we can accelerate our next phase of growth together.”
The emphasis on distributors puts route-to-market execution near the centre of Watt’s early agenda. In the US spirits market, brand strategy ultimately depends on how effectively producers, distributors and retail or hospitality accounts convert portfolio priorities into availability and sales.
Watt joins GALLO after leading Branca USA from May 2022 until June 2026. Before that, he spent 13 years at Whyte & Mackay, where he moved through marketing and commercial leadership positions before becoming president of the company’s Americas region.
That background gives Spirit of Gallo a leader who has worked across both brand development and regional commercial management. His experience at Whyte & Mackay included senior responsibility for North America and earlier oversight of The Dalmore brand. Watt also served on the executive committee of the American Distilled Spirits Alliance from November 2024 until June 2026.
In announcing his new role, Watt described joining GALLO as a privilege and pointed to the company’s vision, culture and competitive mindset as attractions at a time when the spirits category is changing rapidly. He thanked Britt West, Ernest Gallo and GALLO’s executive leadership team for their trust.
For Spirit of Gallo, the immediate focus now shifts from the appointment to execution. Watt’s planned engagement with distributors and commercial partners should provide the first
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