Ike Karipides Promoted to SVP of Sales at Drew Estate

PCA | February 7, 2024

Ike Karipides has been promoted to senior vice president of sales at Drew Estate. He succeeds David Lazarus, who retired at the end of January 2024.

Karipides joined Drew Estate back in January 2018. At that time, he held the position of director of specialty retail channel and later was put in charge of online retail. Before his most recent promotion, Karipides was the vice president direct and oversaw the company’s specialty retail, online retail, and liquor chain sales channels. In his new role as senior vice president of sales, Karipides will oversee the company’s wholesale sales channel as well as its trade marketing and business intelligence departments.

In a press release, Wolfson commented: “Ike has amassed deep expertise in various facets of the premium cigar industry during his 28-year career. ​ He is a consummate professional who is highly respected by colleagues, competitors, customers, and consumers throughout our industry. ​ Ike’s strategic acumen, operational excellence, and change management capabilities will enable him to lead our sales organization to even greater heights, as Drew Estate continues to evolve and grow over the years to come.”

Jonathan Drew, president and chief marketing officer at Drew Estate, added: “Ike is unique. ​ His industry leadership, knowledge of the premium cigar business, and passion for Drew Estate culture results in explosive talent, contributing tremendously throughout our organization in a relatively short tenure. It’s an honor to work with the man, who I also consider a dear friend.”

Before joining Drew Estate in 2018, Karipides held numerous positions within the premium tobacco industry. He worked in retail at Cleveland’s Cousin’s Cigars and Barclay-Rex in Manhattan, New York. He learned the wholesale/distribution part of the business while working at House of Oxford Distributors. It was while working at Miami Cigar & Co. that he gained experience with field sales. Before working at Drew Estate, he worked at Nat Sherman International where he held the position of executive director of premium cigar sales and spent nearly six years to build a field sales team from the ground-up to support the sales and distribution of the venerable brand.

Karipides will report directly to Glenn C. Wolfson, CEO of Drew Estate.