Our Crew
Geoff Krieger
CEO
Bio
Geoff Krieger, CEO and part-owner of Brokenwood Wines, joined the company as their first General Manager in 2004. With over 40 years of experience in the wine industry, Geoff oversees all facets of production, marketing, cellar door and domestic sales and is actively involved in building export distribution and sales globally. He is also a driving force behind the development of the new Brokenwood Wines Cellar Door, The Wood Restaurant, Cru Bar + Pantry, and Terrace Wine Bar at the company’s Hunter Valley winery estate. His interest in wine began as a student while studying business at the University of Technology Sydney when he secured a part-time job in a retail liquor store. Since then, Geoff has held a number of positions in the liquor industry, starting as a sales representative for the Hill Wine Group and working his way up to the position of General Manager and as a Board member for the National Independent Liquor Wholesalers Association. During his career, Geoff has helped build global brands such as McGuigan Wines, Champagne Lanson and Louis Jadot Burgundy. Geoff serves on the Boards of the New South Wales Wine Industry Association and the Hunter Valley Alliance. He is a past President of the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association. He is also a member of Wine Communicators Australia (WCA).
Stuart Hordern
Chief Winemaker
Bio
A local and proud advocate of the Hunter Valley, Stuart has winemaking in his blood and has been working on the family vineyard since he was old enough to drive a tractor. After numerous vintages in the Upper Hunter and a stint in France he decided to make his chosen career official and headed off to Adelaide University in 2004. Throughout this time he continued to develop his skills, working four years with Dean Hewitson in Adelaide and a placement with Tyrrell’s where he was able to focus on the classic Hunter Valley varieties of Semillon and Shiraz. In his final year of university he successfully managed to combine his two passions, wine and rugby by heading back to France for a white vintage in the Languedoc followed by some quality time attending the 07 Rugby World Cup. He then returned to the Upper Hunter to work with Tyrrell’s for two years. While at Tyrrells he undertook another Northern Hemisphere Vintage in 2008, heading to Sonoma in the USA to spend some time working with multiple Pinot Noir clones at the acclaimed Williams Selyem. He then went on to join Brokenwood in 2009 as Assistant Winemaker. During his time at Brokenwood, Stuart and his team have significantly contributed to our wines’ quality. Our Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz has maintained its position as the highest level of Langton’s Classification of collectible Australian wines – 1st Classified and remains the only red wine in New South Wales to hold this position. Brokenwood has also been awarded a Halliday 5-star red winery, with our wines receiving numerous gold medals and trophies at various wine shows. We are thrilled to announce that Stuart has been awarded the First Creek Winemaking Services 2024 Winemaker of the Year at the 2024 Hunter Valley Legends Awards. In addition to his winemaking expertise, Stuart has been instrumental in leading our region through the post-COVID era as the President of the Hunter Valley Wine Tourism Association for the last two years (2021-2023). We are confident that Stuart’s expertise and leadership will continue to drive our business forward. Stuart encapsulates the new breed of young winemakers, dedicated to the region and striving to produce the best wines possible while learning from the masters to develop his craft further.
Carlee Watson
Member Experience
& Brand Manager
Bio
With a passion for growing brands and delivering exceptional customer experiences, Carlee began her career early in the Restaurant & Cellar Door at McWilliams Mount Pleasant. She became the Wine Club Coordinator at Lake’s Folly in 2002 before moving to the Brokenwood Wine Club in 2009. Throughout her time at Brokenwood, Carlee has grown through the ranks, starting in the business’s growing Wine Club before being appointed its Manager, then Direct Sales Manager, followed by Sales & Marketing Manager, until her current appointment as Member Experience and Brand Manager in October 2023. Her ability to grow wine clubs from 300 to over 4,000 during her time at Brokenwood is a testament to her expertise and dedication. Carlee has also been instrumental in growing Direct Sales to surpass other channels, warranting the expansion of the new cellar door. As Sales & Marketing Manager, she led over 40 staff to achieve Cellar Door of the Year and was part of the project team through the development of the award-winning cellar door and restaurant facility. Carlee’s achievements have not gone unnoticed, and she was a finalist for Rising Star at the 2021 Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards. She coordinates Brokenwood’s largest annual sell-out event, the Graveyard Launch each year, and her passion is to grow the Company’s wine club members and brand awareness whilst building a distinctive customer experience culture across the business, focusing on the longevity of an iconic Australian brand. Carlee also supports Hunter Valley branding initiatives and serves on the HVWTA Wine Marketing Sub-Committee. With her impressive track record and dedication to the industry, Carlee Watson is a true asset to Brokenwood and its long-standing culture.
Nathan Hughes
Global Sales Manager
Bio
Nathan Hughes is a seasoned professional with an unwavering dedication to the world of wine. Hailing from the renowned Hunter Valley, Nathan’s journey in winemaking began straight out of school, igniting a lifelong passion that has taken him on a remarkable career path across Australia and Europe. His formative years were spent refining his craft in various roles within Hunter Valley restaurants and wineries, where he developed a profound curiosity for the intricacies of winemaking. Eager to deepen his understanding, Nathan ventured to Europe, where he managed and served as a sommelier for esteemed hotels and restaurants in England, broadening his perspective on the global wine landscape. Returning to Australia, Nathan brought a wealth of experience and insights, which he applied to curate exceptional wine lists for top-tier restaurants in the Hunter Valley. However, his journey didn’t stop there. Driven to delve deeper into winemaking, he joined Brokenwood in 2010 as a Vintage Cellar Hand before becoming Assistant Winemaker at Best’s Great Western. In 2014, Nathan assumed the role of Brand Ambassador at Brokenwood, leveraging his expertise to expand the brand’s local and international presence. Subsequent roles as Sales & Marketing Manager at Willunga 100 in South Australia and Regional Export Manager at Angove Family Winemakers underscored his versatility and strategic acumen. A testament to his enduring connection to Brokenwood, Nathan returned to the fold in 2021 as National & Export Sales Manager. Nathan leads a dedicated team in this capacity, leveraging his wealth of experience and strategic acumen to drive sales growth and expand Brokenwood’s global footprint. Nathan’s commitment to excellence and his unwavering passion for the wine industry make him an invaluable asset to Brokenwood and its Management team, where his insights and leadership continue to drive the company’s success.
Katrina Barry
Hunter Vineyards
Manager
Bio
Katrina Barry has been working at Brokenwood Wines since the age of 12. Her father Keith Barry (KB) was Vineyard Manager for 23 years, with Kat working alongside him for 18 consecutive vintages. In 2013 they won ‘Viticulturist of the Year’ at the Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards, a well-deserved accolade with their unbeatable knowledge of the land. The Brokenwood Crew and all who knew him were sad to lose KB in 2016, he will forever be in our hearts. Kat has since taken the reins and is leading the vineyard team into our next vintage. Our Kat’s Block Shiraz has been named in her honour, which is particularly fitting as KB helped to plant the original vines in 1968 when he was a young lad doing casual vineyard work.
Kate Sturgess
Winemaker
Bio
Kate Sturgess joined Brokenwood Wines in 2015 as Assistant Winemaker and was promoted to Winemaker in 2019. Her love of science and a desire to work outside encouraged Kate to take a leap of faith moving from Brisbane to Adelaide to complete her Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2011. Kate’s experience extends through a number of Australian wine regions as well as time at Culmina Estate, Okanagan Valley, Canada in 2012. Here in Australia, Kate gained experience at Wirra Wirra, De Iuliis Wines, Mount Langi Ghiran, and as Assistant Winemaker at Balnaves of Coonawarra. Kate has been integral in revitalising the Hunter Valley Young Winemaker’s Tasting Group through the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association (HVWTA), and was nominated for Winemaker of the Year at the Hunter Valley Legends Awards 2021. One of Kate’s professional highlights has been Brokenwood Wines winning James Halliday’s ‘Wine of the Year’ with the 2018 Brokenwood Wines Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz. Kate was also named in the Top 50 of 2018 Young Guns of Wine – she was the Hunter Valley’s sole representative, and 1 of 4 to be selected from NSW. Kate has been included in the 2021/2022 cohort of Wine Australia’s Future Leaders program. Funded by the sector and coordinated by Wine Australia, Future Leaders is a biennial program offered to applicants with open, creative, inquisitive minds who are typically early to mid-career and already demonstrating leadership potential. “Gaining a place in the Future Leaders program for me means building a pathway towards being able to enact real change within the Australian wine industry to make sure it is wholly inclusive and sustainable for future generations” – Kate Sturgess. Outside of work Kate spends her time renovating houses, taking advantage of Newcastle’s pristine beaches, and showing her dog Winston the ropes around the vineyards.
Mick McPherson
Operations & Marketing
Manager
Bio
Mick McPherson is a seasoned commercial and marketing leader with more than two decades of experience in the wine industry, spanning digital transformation, operations, and strategic brand building across Australia and the UK. As Operations & Marketing Manager at Brokenwood Wines, Mick leads with a digital-first philosophy—driving performance across the cellar door, restaurant, and online experiences. He previously held the role of National Business Manager – Digital at Samuel Smith & Son, where he led the company’s digital transformation agenda. Mick delivered exceptional results, growing B2B online sales by 460% and scaling D2C revenue by more than 700%. He managed flagship assets such as Cellar 1849 and Trade Portal, and led omni-channel strategy development, digital capability building, and e-commerce optimisation across the business. Before returning to Australia, Mick served as Commercial Manager at Negociants UK, where he had full commercial oversight across the UK and European operations. This included strategic planning, financial and tax compliance, promotional analytics, sales forecasting, IT systems, warehousing, and customer service. His leadership brought structure, discipline, and innovation to the international business. Earlier in his career, Mick was Commercial Manager – NSW at Samuel Smith & Son, managing state-based operations and aligning them with national sales strategy. He also led global brand development and cellar door operations at 3 Oceans Wine Company in Margaret River. Mick holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) with Distinction and brings a visionary, hands-on approach to Brokenwood Wines.
Sam Alexander
Executive Chef
The Wood Restaurant
Bio
Sam Alexander joined The Wood Restaurant at Brokenwood as Executive Chef in February 2026. Sam brings a passion for open-fire cooking, bold flavour, and seasonal, locally sourced produce. He previously made his mark at Yellow Billy Restaurant in Pokolbin, helping to establish it as one of the Hunter Valley’s standout dining destinations, earning consecutive Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide hats along the way. With experience across respected venues including Bistro Molines, Fins Byron Bay, and Bistrode Sydney, Sam leads the kitchen, focusing on fire-led cooking, creativity, and relaxed, generous hospitality.
