When you are a member of a family closely associated with a famous brand, as I am, people sometimes question your legitimacy as a business person. "Oh," they say, "she is just a rich girl, and she wants to play with a toy." I would like to think it is their affection for the product we produce—Grand Marnier liqueur—that causes them to feel this way. Perhaps they fear that it might somehow change as new generations in my family oversee its production.

For the record, they have nothing to fear on that front. The traditions and values that have defined our family business for over 150 years are alive and well. Yet, as one would expect, there will be change. To keep a family business competitive, particularly in the spirits and wine industry, one must embrace the future, while never losing sight of the past. When skeptics understand this and see my total commitment to the business my great-grandfather built, as well as my desire to contribute to it in new ways, they usually change their opinions and become enthusiastic.

I am tremendously proud of my family history. While the Marnier Lapostolles have been involved in French winemaking since the 17th century, it was my great-grandfather, Louis-Alexandre Marnier, the scion of a winemaking family from the Sancerre region of France, who started Grand Marnier. In 1876, he married Julia Lapostolle, whose family owned a distillery in Neauphle-le-Château. With their union, they created our family name, Marnier Lapostolle, which was followed shortly thereafter by another creation, a drink originally called Caraçao Marnier, which combined a blend of cognacs with the distilled essence of orange. Louis-Alexandre’s friend, Cesar Ritz, the famed hotelier, suggested that he give the new concoction "a grand name because it is the best." Since its debut at the Ritz hotel in Paris in 1880, Grand Marnier, as it came to be known, has commanded a loyal following worldwide.

Eventually, my grandfather became the CEO of Grand Marnier, and now the job of leading the company falls to my father, Jacques. My brother, several cousins, my uncle and I also work with him, which truly makes it a family affair. In an industry where big corporations seem to own everything, we realize just how unique we are. We work together, we vacation together and, believe it or not, we don’t fight!

I will not change the taste of my wines to meet the varying expectations of each global market. My job is to help these audiences appreciate and share my taste for the French-Chilean style of wine we produce.

While our family and Grand Marnier are inextricably linked, family members must study and learn the ins and outs of business before they can assume positions of authority and leadership. Many years ago, I told my family that I too wanted to work with them. To prepare myself, I studied economics and accounting at the University Assas in Paris. I also lived near the vineyards and learned about their operation. In the early 1990s, I was charged with developing diversification plans for the company that would help keep us competitive in an increasingly global economy. After researching many options, I proposed that we expand our company’s wine production in Chile to produce premium wines that were somewhat less expensive than those from France. After crafting a 10-year plan and presenting my idea to my family and other executives at the company, they agreed, and I embarked upon my new venture, which would come to be called the Casa Lapostolle Winery.

Chile Reception
At the time, some observers might have questioned my plan or my ability to undertake what was, for our company, a radical departure from our core business in France. Furthermore, I was a woman working in a male-dominated industry and, of course, there were the occasional "rich girl" comments from skeptics. Yet I was determined to succeed. I felt strongly that Chile, with its cool climate and strong rootstock (some of which, by the way, was originally imported from France in the 19th century) was ideal, and that I could achieve success there. We were, I told my family, like Christopher Columbus exploring new frontiers.

While my plan was certainly ambitious and somewhat risky—at that time Chilean wines were just becoming well known in the competitive global market—it was, in many ways, just an extension of the wine business my family has been involved in for hundreds of years. In addition to Grand Marnier, the House of Marnier Lapostolle owns and operates Chateau de Sancerre in the Loire. We also had a 60-year relationship with our distributors in Chile, a wonderful family that made me feel welcome and educated me on the country’s different regions, climates and people. Twelve years, a multimillion dollar investment and a lot of hard work later, Casa Lapostolle now produces more than 150,000 cases of premium red and white wines annually and maintains three distinct vineyards across almost 1,000 acres.

In the spirits and wine industries, globalization is very profoundly impacting the way we work. Unlike my great-grandfather, whose business life was basically confined to France, I operate globally, but in a world that is much smaller. From my home in Geneva, I can reach Chile in 16 hours, a trip I make many times each year. I also travel regularly to England, Canada and New York, where we have an office. I meet with importers and work to develop new markets.

When I go to the United States, Canada or Asia, I have to listen and learn about the culture to which we are trying to sell our wines. As a global producer of premium wines, my greatest challenge today is to maintain our own personality as we try to market to different regions with different tastes. Even though I would love to have more sales, I will not change the taste of my wines to meet the varying expectations of each global market. My job—which is sometimes difficult—is to help these audiences appreciate and share my taste for the French-Chilean style of wine we produce.

In my family, this challenge is not new. I think back to my great-grandfather, who drew upon generations of experience and his own personal taste to develop Grand Marnier, a liqueur that was, and is, wholly unique. No doubt, he too encountered skeptics along the way, but by taking a risk and remaining true to his vision, he succeeded.

My ancestors created the House of Marnier Lapostolle, and I am grateful and proud of their accomplishments. Although the current generation of my family holds fast to established traditions, who knows what the future will hold? I hope we will continue to own and operate this business, and that my own sons will someday join us as well. My husband and I talk to them about the business and share our experiences with them. We feel it is better that they reach a certain managerial level by themselves so that people will not question their abilities. Therefore, we would like for each of them to work for 10 years in other companies, and then come to work with us.

I hope that when they do, we will all, as a family, still be taking risks and exploring new business frontiers. I hope we will all be doing things that would make past generations of our family proud.