Hall of Fame Profile: Tammy Ackerman

Tammy Ackerman believes in the power of storytelling. It’s a skill she learned while in college, and one she has continued to master throughout her professional journey. 

Over the past three years at Treasury Wine Estates, Ackerman has led entrepreneurial efforts to build the foundational knowledge, digital infrastructure and continuous process of testing, learning and sharing retail e-commerce best practices, while creating a strong bond among cross-functional teams and fostering progress within the company. 

She tells stories through her work to affect change, and she encourages those around her to do the same. “In business, storytelling is the catalyst that transforms ideas into impact, connects brands to hearts, and turns vision into reality,” she says. 

Ackerman is the company’s vice president of retail e-commerce, responsible for leading a three-tier e-commerce department that includes strategy, insights, activation, performance media and trade business planning.

The Early Years

Ackerman’s personal journey began in Taipei, Taiwan, where she was the oldest child born to hard-working parents. She and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 6, and along with learning English before she could go to kindergarten, she recalls navigating cultural differences throughout her childhood — an experience that heightened her awareness of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

Her journey into the workforce began in high school. From her first job at a movie rental store, she says she “found the appeal of working, earning and gaining independence irresistible.” 

Ackerman was the first of her large immigrant Chinese family to go to college when she entered UC San Diego to study political science. “The program’s emphasis on writing assignments significantly honed my writing and storytelling skills that I still use today,” she says. She then went on to earn an MBA in marketing from the University of San Diego. 

Career Development

Ackerman’s post-graduate career took her into the world of financial services at John Hancock for a few years before she took a job as an expansion coordinator for her collegiate co-ed business fraternity, and then as an events coordinator for the Senior Olympics. 

She briefly considered pursuing other nonprofit work, but something still didn’t hit home. These “detours,” as she calls them today, helped her understand where she didn’t want to land long term, and gave her a basis for mentoring others in their own search.

Ackerman’s next move was as a marketing associate at San Diego beer wholesaler Mesa Distributing Co., where she gained experience collaborating with suppliers such as Miller Brewing, Sam Adams, Heineken and Tecate. It was the beginning of her work in beverages and her first role that focused on the consumer journey. “I just fell in love with the whole process of how to get a product marketed and distributed to a consumer at the end,” she says.

After a few years, she joined Miller Brewing Co., first as an on-premise sales manager in California and later as a local marketing manager in Pennsylvania, which became the top-performing designated market area in the U.S., earning her team the Frederick Miller President’s Award in 2006. “Despite not being a major market at the time, we surpassed much larger markets, making it a momentous win for the entire team,” she notes.

Her next stop at PepsiCo broadened her consumer and retail expertise when she was charged with overseeing brands such as Pepsi and Mountain Dew across 14 states on the East Coast. Her responsibilities included aligning franchise bottlers on forecasting as well as merchandising, innovation product launches, and achieving core portfolio sales targets. “Collectively, these roles equipped me with the skills to adeptly partner with wholesalers, drive profitable growth for both established and emerging brands, and execute large-scale and grassroots marketing campaigns,” she says. 

Making Her Mark at Treasury Wine Estates

In 2010, wanting to transition from the East Coast back to California, Ackerman joined Treasury Wine Estates as a trade marketing director. Her passion for wine combined with her marketing experience made it a great fit. She held the role for two years and then assumed two brand management positions, one in innovation and then a global role for the company’s Beringer brand. 

In this role, her team was faced with the challenge of demystifying wine for shoppers. Collaborations with agency TwinOaks to develop the Beringer Taste Station — a non-alcoholic wine sampling station at shelf dispensing taste strips — drove double-digit category growth, increased shelf dwell time and attracted new wine consumers. For its efforts, the team earned a 2016 North American Effie. 

Her next roles within TWE were director of marketing services and then senior director marketing strategy and capability, leading efforts in strategic planning, insights, innovation, process and capability across eight brand marketing teams. 

At the end of 2017, she left the company to join Mezzetta, take on a new challenge of building their shopper and e-commerce capabilities, and broaden her expertise in a category outside of beverages.

Just over a year later, a new opportunity arose at TWE that Ackerman couldn’t pass up. Michelle Terry, then global CMO, created a marketing and sales execution role for her that was the largest team leadership opportunity of her career, overseeing a total of 32 professionals across five departments. She was in this role for less than a year when the pandemic hit. A staunch advocate for increasing the company’s e-commerce activities, Ackerman credits Carl Evans, CMO, and Ben Dollard, president of the Americas, with contributing thought leadership, allocating dedicated resources and underscoring the significance of three-tier e-commerce in the company’s overall sales and marketing strategy. 

It was then that Ackerman assumed her current post. 

Today, Ackerman says her most impactful work involves leading high-performing and diverse teams across various marketing disciplines as well as building on the development of TWE’s e-commerce capabilities. “This journey, marked by personal and professional growth, involved collaboration with key internal and external team members to create a new capability from scratch, significantly impacting our overall business,” she says.

In the Industry

Ackerman has served on the BevAlc Commerce Initiative (BACi) Advisory Board since its inception. The Path to Purchase Institute industry share group was established to unite thought leaders in the BevAlc industry, fostering a comprehensive understanding of integrated omni-commerce strategies. She has witnessed the group’s evolution in addressing the intricacies of marketing in the three-tier system.

“In the fiercely competitive BevAlc industry, having a dedicated forum to discuss industry-wide impacts is invaluable,” she says. Although still in its early stages, the group’s potential for growth is vast, Ackerman believes. “What excites me is our members driving the agenda, positioning our group at the forefront of identifying trends, capabilities, and best practices for enhanced shopper engagement and brand growth opportunities,” she says.

This year will bring with it proprietary research, learning labs, discussions and an in-person meeting — all in an effort to shape the future of the industry through collaboration, shared insights and innovation. She is committed to actively contributing to the momentum of BACi, engaging with senior leaders across beer, wine and spirits categories to establish online marketing standards and best practices that will elevate the entire sector.

Into the Future

Going forward, Ackerman will continue to work to enhance TWE’s internal omnichannel commerce capabilities. “The evolving market landscape, coupled with shifting consumer behaviors, necessitates a seamless integration of physical and digital activations for a unified brand engagement,” she says. “Addressing where, how and when consumers purchase wine, as well as their dynamic expectations for brand content, is crucial for our success.”

She is also committed to sharing her knowledge and experiences with others coming up in the industry. As a senior leader, she sees mentorship as essential and says witnessing professionals grow through this process is highly rewarding. 

Her biggest pieces of advice are this: cultivate continuous learning and development. In other words, continuously ask questions, seek knowledge and be aware of emerging trends. “Construct a personal development plan that transcends mere title advancements, measuring your career progression by the exposure to projects and experiences that challenge you, allowing for continuous skill expansion,” she says. 

Also important is to embrace non-linear paths. Forget the job title, she says, and be open to career trajectories that may not seem straightforward because roles on cross-functional teams can significantly broaden anyone’s skill set and enhance overall business acumen. “Follow your passions with experiences and exposure to things, and then prioritize relationships, stay tech-savvy and always keep the consumer at the forefront of your decisions.”