INTERNATIONAL WINE CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP & NEW ERA
Industry Veteran Dave Rudman Joins as Partner and Managing Director
NEW YORK, NY, April 15, 2025 – Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, President of International Wine Center (IWC), is pleased to announce that Dave Rudman has joined IWC as Partner and Managing Director—marking the beginning of a new chapter for America’s leading wine and spirits education center.
Founded in 1982, IWC has long been at the forefront of wine education in the United States. Under the leadership of Ewing-Mulligan—North America’s first female Master of Wine—IWC introduced the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) qualifications to the U.S. in 1994, becoming the first school to offer these globally recognized programs. Today, IWC remains one of the few institutions to offer the prestigious WSET Level 4 Diploma, the highest WSET qualification and a traditional prerequisite for Master of Wine candidates.
Rudman will begin taking on operational leadership this month, as Ewing-Mulligan starts to step back from day-to-day management, but she will remain involved in select school activities and continue in an advisory role.
“I am incredibly excited about the future of IWC,” said Ewing-Mulligan. “Even after 43 years, there is still enormous potential to broaden our reach and deepen our impact across the beverage alcohol industry. I’m proud of what IWC represents today and even more enthusiastic about what lies ahead. Dave is the ideal person to lead this next phase—his experience as an IWC alum and his insider perspective from WSET make him uniquely suited to grow the school’s mission.”
Rudman joins IWC from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, where he most recently served as Global Business Development Director and a member of the organization’s Leadership Team. Since 2017, he has held several leadership positions at WSET, including Executive Director for both WSET Americas and WSET Asia-Pacific. Before WSET, he was Director of Education at Brescome Barton, one of the country’s largest wine, spirits, sake, and beer distributors, where he also established the company as a WSET Approved Program Provider. Rudman earned his WSET Level 4 Diploma from IWC in 2019 and holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
“I’m thrilled to return to IWC and to rejoin the vibrant U.S. wine and spirits education community,” said Rudman. “My goal is to grow America’s first, and most beloved, beverage alcohol education brand into one of the largest and most recognized providers of education, content, and passion for the industry globally. I deeply believe in IWC’s potential to reach and inspire even more students, professionals, and enthusiasts in the coming years.”
With this leadership change, IWC will embark on a new era, building on its legacy to continue educating and inspiring the next generation of wine and spirits professionals.
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About International Wine Center
Founded in 1982, International Wine Center (IWC) is America’s oldest independent wine school. Led by Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, who introduced Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) programs to the U.S., IWC was the country’s first WSET provider and remains one of the few offering the prestigious WSET Diploma in Wines, WSET’s highest qualification. Committed to independent-minded wine study for trade and consumers, IWC delivers a world-class education in the heart of New York City without promotional influence. Learn more at internationalwinecenter.com.
Media Contact:
Amy Mironov | Ten27 Communications
amy@ten27inc.com | 646.469.4450
