Profile of Steve Harden, Vice President, General  Manager of Southern Wine & Spirits of Northern California

Steve Harden is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Southern Wine & Spirits and American Wines & Spirits divisions in Northern California. He is a 15-year veteran of the company. The former University of the Pacific quarterback got his start in the wine and spirits industry right out of college. A university booster who was starting a wine distribution company offered him a job working as a sales representative in Stockton, California.

This professional foray was short-lived but invaluable: The distributor went out of business in just two years – “not because of my efforts,” Mr. Harden adds. Yet, he went on to capitalize on his work experience, eventually landing high-level management positions at Southern including: Sacramento Chain Account Manager; General Manager, Sacramento Division; and Northern California General Sales Manager, a job he held for 11 years. Mr. Harden assumed his current position in 2004.

At its core, Mr. Harden’s business philosophy is the Golden Rule: “Work hard and over-prepare.” he says, “And, most importantly, treat everyone as you would like to be treated. Manage out of love and respect – not fear!”

These are also the principals that inform Mr. Harden’s personal life. The self-described struggling golfer and fly-fisherman-in-training is active in the Special Olympics, Lodi Adopt a Child, and the 1199 Foundation. Yet his family – wife, Barb, and children, Kate and Joe – continue to be his “top priority.”