Lily Bollinger was a master of strategy, both in the bottle and the boardroom. When she prepared to retire in 1971, she didn’t just look for a namesake to take her seat. Instead, she orchestrated a phased succession—a dream team of nephews designed to protect the Maison through two very different eras of growth.

It was a calculated move by a woman who had already spent a lifetime defying the odds, and it ensured that the house of Bollinger would remain independent while others were being swallowed by conglomerates.

Continue Reading →