Mirena Bagur: New Executive Director of the Global Artisan Vintners Alliance

Back in March, I reported on the formation of The Global Artisan Vintners Alliance (AVA), which will "promote collaboration and exchange of information between winemakers, wine associations, government representatives, tourism and economic development organizations, and business associations. Representatives of the partner wine regions will actively participate in professional development opportunities through discussions about winemaking techniques and sustainability methods, student and professional intern exchanges, and sharing of best practices around economic development, agri-tourism and marketing initiatives to elevate the global presence of the participating wine region, among other opportunities."

The Global Artisan Vintners Alliance (AVA) has now announced that it has appointed Mirena Bagur, pictured above, as the Executive Director. “Proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and recognizing the need for the Alliance to enter a new phase, I am pleased to name Mirena Bagur as the Executive Director. After working with Mirena for a year, I am confident she will leverage her international experience, gravitas and passion, as well as knowledge of the wine industry, to lead the organization in expanding its footprint and strengthening relationships among members, ” said David Haubert, Alameda County, District 1 Supervisor, who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Global AVA, and serves as its President. Haubert added, “Mirena will also focus on enhancing collaboration with value-added education among the partner wine regions.” 

Mirena’s career includes working in the high-tech industry where she led global campaigns for many brands in a large global agency, including a focus on healthcare when she taught an entrepreneurship course at Harvard/MIT. She has been an active member of many entrepreneurial and business mentoring associations, and has cofounded Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc. In that role, she collaborates with numerous Croatian government agencies, business and wine associations, and leverages her business experience to uplift the education about Croatian indigenous wines as a tool for promoting the Croatian economy and tourism in the US. She is also involved in various cultural organizations. Mirena holds a masters of economy degree, focused on international trade from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. 

“It’s already been inspirational to work with the founding members of the Global AVA and I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Supervisor’s team in Livermore and all the regions as we figure out how to meaningfully collaborate moving forward,” said Mirena Bagur. “So far, we’ve had a year to familiarize and discuss similar topics to address, and I look forward to leading the Global AVA into our next phase when our work will become better known to potential new regions. We will also create additional forums for knowledge sharing and collaboration. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the existing alliance members for their excitement and collaboration to date and am happy to announce we will have the in-person opportunity to exchange ideas at the next annual Summit, which will take place in Hungary in late March 2026.” 

I've known Mirena for a number of years, and have traveled with her twice to Croatia. She's an excellent choice as Executive Director, and I can attest to her deep passion for wine and her great grasp of organizational details. When the Global Artisan Vintners Alliance was initially formed, I could see her dedication to the goals of this new group, and believe will work hard and do her best to promote the objectives of this organization. Congratulations to Mirena!