Raising the Bar

Chris Ricci serves as the Director of Spirits at Crown Distributing, overseeing trade development for all spirits outside Diageo in Georgia. Chris has over 25 years of industry experience as a supplier and distributor of all commodities. He has worked for Jim Beam and Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits. As an Off-Premise Sales Supervisor, Chris started with Georgia Crown Distributing in 2010. He later moved into Trade Marketing and held various positions managing the spirits commodity. Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and lives in Atlanta with his wife, Sally, of 12 years, and they have three children – Colin, Cameron, and Stella.

George Nalley serves as the Director of the Diageo Business at Crown Distributing, overseeing trade development for Diageo spirits in Georgia and Tennessee. Before taking on this role, George held various positions in Trade Marketing, managing portfolios that included both spirits and wine. Prior to joining Crown Distributing in 2019, he spent seven years at RNDC in sales and sales management. George holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and lives in Atlanta with his family.

Michael has been with the Georgia Crown team since 2023, bringing to the table over a decade's worth of experience in hospitality/beverage management and education. He has worked in a wide range of hotel, bar, and restaurant environments, from independent, family-owned ventures to high-volume, multi-faceted corporate venues. As a spirits specialist, Michael consults with on-premise bars in the greater Atlanta region, working with their teams to design and develop quality spirits and cocktail programs tailored to their concept.

Michael and his wife, Erin, have been married since 2014, and have two wonderful little girls - Zoe and Rory.