10 Questions for Vic Motto of Global Wine Partners

Each Wednesday the Napa Valley Register’s Business Focus asks “10 Questions” of a local entrepreneur or businessperson. Readers are welcome to suggest business people to be profiled.

If he hadn’t failed at manufacturing guitars, Vic Motto might not be the successful investment banker he is today.

Motto, chief executive officer of Global Wine Partners in St. Helena, wasn’t always in finance. After learning to play a guitar while stationed at an isolated Air Force radar site in Morocco, Motto left the military for life as a musician.

In the late1960s, Motto and a friend started a guitar manufacturing business. It was not a success.

“I lost my shirt because I didn’t understand business,” said Motto. “So I went back to school to learn about business.”

Today, Motto’s Global Wine Partners enjoys worldwide recognition as a leader in the investment banking industry.

“It all worked out,” said Motto of his career path.

“I can’t think of a better place to live or a better industry to be part of.”

What three people would you most like to have dinner with?

My wonderful wife, the fascinating, urbane Sandy Timpson Motto, Thomas Jefferson, the godfather of wine in America, and Socrates, the Greek philosopher, to find the path to the truth.

What job would you like to try/not try?

University professor in the humanities/Military general.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

Finding the best human resources locally to grow the business, particularly in the early days. If you look at the wine industry, we’ve got a lot of very well-trained people in growing and wine making. But in the other disciplines — finance, sales, marketing and management, the best opportunities in those fields are often in a big city somewhere.This didn’t use to be the place to start a career. We’ve grown up with the industry.

What is your most treasured possession?

Although I treasure many things much more than possessions, I do have an 1882 Martin guitar that is very special.

What’s on your to-do list?

To live as well and as long as my 96-year-old Mother who just renewed her driver’s license for six more years. What a woman.

Who  do you most admire in the business world?

Robert Mondavi, of course. He is the inspiration for so many, and the reason many of us are here in the fascinating business of wine.

What is one necessary extravagance in your life?

Travel for pleasure and experience. Traveling helps you appreciate what you have, it helps you put things in perspective.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

When I was a teenager, I did some professional cartoon work. I did some work for Fred Laswell who had a cartoon strip called “Snuffy Smith.” I was his assistant. I wanted to be a commercial illustrator. But then I got into music. Most people are surprised to learn that I started life as an artist and musician and became a business advisor, but no one is more surprised than me.

What is your favorite charity?

Cancer research through various charities, the terrible killer of so many loved ones.

What other business person(s) would you like to see featured in “10 Questions?”

Some of the modern vintners who helped create the industry success we have today, like Jim Barrett, Jack Cakebread, Joe Phelps, Bill Harlan and some of the more progressive winery executive leaders like Michaela Rodeno, Tom Shelton and many others.

The eleventh question

How did you end up in Napa?

“Like many people I came to the area as a tourist,” said Motto.

He traveled to the area year after year, “until I loved the place so much I decided to move here and open a business in management consulting.”

That was 1981. “I bootstrapped that business into what we have today,” Motto said.

“Wine kept calling and finally I answered.”

To suggest a candidate for “10 Questions” e-mail: jhuffman@napanews.com

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