2026-07-22
AXA Millésimes said Wednesday that it has reorganized part of its leadership team, naming Corinne Ilić managing director for its U.S. operations and appointing Marine Castel as director of communications and digital marketing for the group’s wine estates.
The changes take effect immediately, according to a company statement issued on July 22. Ilić will move from Europe to California to lead Outpost and Platt Vineyard, two AXA Millésimes properties in the state. Her new role marks a shift from communications to operational leadership after 18 years with the company, including 11 years as communications director for the estates.
The reorganization also promotes Castel, who joined AXA Millésimes in 2014 as press relations officer. In her new position, she will oversee communications and digital marketing across the company’s estate portfolio. The company said she has worked closely with Ilić for years and is familiar with the demands of the role and the identity of the estates.
Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millésimes, said the changes were tied to Ilić’s relocation to the United States and described them as part of an internal reorganization. He said Ilić would take on responsibility for Outpost and Platt Vineyard in California, while Castel would assume broader oversight of communications and digital strategy for the group.
AXA Millésimes is the wine investment arm linked to AXA and owns estates in several wine regions. The appointment gives Ilić direct responsibility in one of the company’s most visible markets outside Europe, at a time when premium wine groups continue to place greater focus on U.S. vineyard assets, brand positioning and direct communication with consumers and trade buyers.
Outpost is based on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley and is known for small-production wines centered on mountain fruit. Platt Vineyard, on the Sonoma Coast, is recognized for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah grown in a cooler coastal climate. Both properties are part of AXA Millésimes’ California presence and represent different segments of the high-end wine market in the state.
The company did not announce other management changes in the statement. It also did not provide further details on whether Ilić’s new responsibilities would extend beyond Outpost and Platt Vineyard or whether Castel’s role would include oversight of external agencies, media relations strategy or e-commerce initiatives.
Still, the appointments point to two priorities that have become more important for international wine groups: tighter management of U.S. estate operations and stronger control over digital communication. For producers with vineyards in multiple countries, leadership moves often reflect both geographic expansion and the need to align marketing more closely with estate identity, tourism activity and sales channels.
In this case, AXA Millésimes is assigning a longtime communications executive to run its California wineries while elevating an internal successor who has spent more than a decade inside the organization. The company framed both moves as part of a planned transition rather than a broader restructuring tied to financial pressure or asset sales.
The announcement did not include comments from Ilić or Castel beyond contact information provided in the release. No timeline was given for additional announcements related to the U.S. business or to communications strategy at the wider group level.