Bertha González Nieves

Bertha González Nieves (born May 6, 1970, Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican businesswoman, whose career is rooted in the consumer luxury goods market, with an emphasis on the Tequila industry. She’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Tequila Casa Dragones, small batch, ultra-premium sipping tequila.

Forbes has identified her as one of the 50 most powerful women in Mexico,[1] and she has been named one of Mexico's top young businesswomen by Revista Expansión.[2] ` She is the first woman to be certified as "Maestra Tequilera" by the Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila, an organization recognized by The Tequila Regulatory Council[3] (CRT).

Education

González Nieves graduated from Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico City with a BA in Business Administration.[4] She holds a Master in Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University[5] and in 2023, she was inducted into the Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement,[6] the highest honor Medill bestows on their alumni.

Career

González Nieves worked as a consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton, where she designed and implemented marketing strategies for leading global packaged goods companies. She then spent over 10 years as an executive for Grupo Jose Cuervo, the largest tequila company in the world.[7] While at the company she held senior marketing and commercial positions, including Commercial Director for North America, Global Director of New Business and Innovation and Global Brand Director.[7]

González Nieves is CEO of Casa Dragones Tequila Company, which she co-founded with businessman and founder of MTV Bob Pittman.[8][9] Casa Dragones produces four sipping tequilas: Casa Dragones Joven, a blend of 100% Blue Agave new silver tequila and extra-aged tequila;  Casa Dragones Blanco, a 100% Blue Agave silver tequila, produced without aging, to deliver the unaltered taste of agave; Casa Dragones Añejo Barrel Blend, a 100% Blue Agave Añejo tequila matured in two different custom-made wood barrels, and Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara, 100% Blue Agave reposado tequila, is the first tequila rested in Japanese casks.

Awards & Recognition

On December 17, 2009, González Nieves appeared on The Martha Stewart Show[12] and demonstrated how to correctly taste Casa Dragones tequila. In May 2010, LA Times Magazine said González Nieves was “bolstering the top-tier-tequila movement,” and was dubbed the “First Lady of Tequila.”[13]

In November 2010, González Nieves received the French luxury design award, "Grand Prix Strategies de Luxe," for the product design of Casa Dragones.[14]

In the March 8, 2018, issue of The New York Times, she explained that the tequila industry is a "growth industry that could further enrich her country culturally and economically."[15] In March 2018, CNN Travel featured her in "Tequila maker's tour of San Miguel de Allende," a visual guide to the town's heritage, hot spots, and culinary renaissance.[16]

Other projects

In 2006, she helped launch Revista DF, Mexico's city magazine, an Editorial Mapas publication.[26] She was one of the producers of the feature film "Matando Cabos," which was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005.[27]