Our Team

CEO

Steve Villani is a thirty-three year veteran in the beer industry. His formative years were spent holding various sales and marketing positions with Anheuser-Busch from 1986 to 2006. There he was able to develop disciplines such as Chain Account Sales, Field Management, Geographic Marketing and Shelf Space management. This led to him holding various wholesaler senior management positions.

Shortly before acquiring  Global Beer Network in 2007,  Steve served as of VP and General Manager of Brown Distributing Company in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ultimately, in an effort  to get closer to family and friends in the Greater Boston Area, he took a Sales Director position with Crown Imports based out of New York.

In an effort to close the gap completely he started seeking out opportunities to acquire an existing business to own and develop. He stumbled upon Global Beer Network and quickly researched the brands. The first one he sought out was Gulden Draak and after taking his first sip…the search was over!

If anyone has shared a toast with Steve, they know that his passion for our independent family-owned breweries is incomparable.

“Selling these beers goes beyond selling a liquid. The story and history behind the families that have nurtured these breweries for centuries is the driving sales point behind these brands.  I take my role of helping these brewers pass the family business down to the next generation healthier than when they got it very seriously” – Steve Villani

COO & CFO

Nick joined Global Beer Network in May of 2021 after spending the previous 6 years at PwC working his way to the role of Senior Associate. 

As well as being a CPA with a Masters in Accounting, Nick's critical thinking ability brings great value to our organization as we overcome one of the most volatile times in our industry.

Although new to the beer industry, he is no stranger to beer culture as his passion for travel has landed him at both Germany’s Oktoberfest and Belgium’s Beer Weekend in Brussels.

In his spare time Nick enjoys seeking out good eats and breaking bread with friends…preferably with a pilsner in hand.

PRESIDENT

Christy Hanson is a 20 year veteran of the beverage industry. While living in Colorado, she spent ten years split equally between Beverage Distributors (now Breakthru Beverage) and CR Goodman as a sales consultant.  Starting her career with Beverage Distributors, gave her the opportunity of beer selling a full book of beer, wine and spirits. Her passion for beer, lead her to CR Goodman, where she began focusing on import beers. She was hooked!

Christy joined Global beer Network in 2011 as our third team member and moved to Houston, TX to assume the role of Regional Sales Manager in our Southwest market. Her energy and impact to our sales team was dynamic and immediate and the state of Texas remains one of our fastest growing markets to this day.

In 2014 Christy became our West Coast Sales Director and Chain Account Manager.  In the last 5 years she developed a true passion for offering programming that tells the unique stories of all of our amazing breweries. By partnering with on and off-premise retailers eager to captivate their customers with an authentic import experience, these programs have made a tremendous impact in the marketplace.

As Vice President of Sales her strong belief in consistent communication and follow through makes her valuable in all phases of our supply chain.

Despite her travel frequency Christy always manages time for a quick hike or jog. She is an avid lover of all animals, particularly her two German Shepherds, Gus and Harper and her tiny dog Porter.

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALE & MARKETING

Dan Leeman became the first member of our sales team in 2009, representing Brewery Van Steenberge in New York City. He spent the five previous years working at an off-premise retailer in the Boston Area. There he noticed that most successful suppliers took the time to understand the clientele and educate their staff.

Dan joined the online marketing firm Exclusive Concepts as a Sales Associate in 2008, where he learned the fundamentals of online marketing including blogging, SEO and web development. While enjoying a Gulden Draak with colleagues at the famed Publick House in Boston, he had a chance run in with brewmaster Jef Versele and our COO, Cliff Lusso and the rest is history.

He went on to become our Northeast Sales and Marketing Manager from 2010 to 2014 and then our Northeast Sales Director up until January of 2019. His experience working with our wholesale network from Tennessee to Maine and as far west as Ohio gives him a firm understanding of how our brands can succeed in vastly different markets.

As our Vice President of Marketing, he is passionate about our brands and makes a concerted effort to understand the subtle details of our breweries and their brands to ensure they are being presented accurately in the marketplace.  

Based in NYC, Dan loves spending time with his family in Boston and Long Island and drives between the two locations often. He enjoys traveling with his wife and checking out new bars and restaurants. If your establishment has a meat and cheese board…he is probably going to order it.