UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 6, 2026 / Marquis Who's Who, the trusted biographical authority chronicling accomplished professionals since 1899, is proud to announce that Peter James Iglesias, president and chief operating officer of Kintsugi Sake USA, has been interviewed and honored for his distinguished career in the wine and spirits industry, as well as his growing influence as a mentor, podcast host and author. With more than 25 years of experience building companies, brands, teams and cultures, Mr. Iglesias is being recognized not only for executive achievement, but also for the deeper personal mission that now shapes his legacy.

At the center of that mission is a simple but powerful belief: success is measured by the impact one has on other people's lives. In his Marquis Who's Who interview, Mr. Iglesias emphasized that, while he has learned how to build successful ventures, the truly valuable part of life is helping others discover their own potential. He says he wants his legacy to be remembered not for titles or material success, but for being someone who genuinely cared, guided people and helped them recognize their capacity for greatness.

That philosophy is now informing a new chapter in Mr. Iglesias's life and career. He is completing a memoir, expected this summer and currently tied to the working theme "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," a message rooted in vulnerability, healing and shared human struggle. The book reflects on the reality that many people feel pressure to hide when they are struggling, only to discover that countless others have faced the same pain. Mr. Iglesias hopes the memoir will walk readers through life's difficult seasons, including childhood trauma and other personal challenges, while reminding them that hardship does not define their worth.

Professionally, Mr. Iglesias continues to lead at a high level. Since 2024, he has served as president and chief operating officer of Kintsugi Sake USA, where he also holds an equity stake. He and his partner launched the company in response to favorable trends in the sake and ready-to-drink (RTD) market, recognizing an opportunity to position the drink as a refined alternative as some segments of the traditional wine and spirits industry slowed.

Under his leadership with his partner, the company developed the ultra-premium Kintsugi label, the premium Oishii offering and the ready-to-drink Oishii Spritz, a better-for-you product line with fewer than 100 calories per can. Additionally, on June 1, 2026, Mr. Iglesias will be launching the first-ever sake-based matcha liqueur and spiked matcha latte RTD. In fewer than two years, Kintsugi Sake USA introduced four brands and secured a national distribution agreement with Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, achieving placement in major retailers including Whole Foods Market, Total Wine & More and Safeway.

Mr. Iglesias's interview also highlights the breadth of his executive track record. Before Kintsugi, he served as chief executive officer of Bespoken Spirits, where he led the relocation of the company to Lexington, Kentucky, built a distillery from the ground up, raised approximately $21 million in capital, and helped commercialize rapid-aging technology for whiskey and bourbon. He also helped create artist partnerships, including Hell House Whiskey with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Uncle Chicken Bourbon with Whiskey Myers. Earlier, as chief operating officer of DeKuyper's Royal Dutch Distillers, he built the entire U.S. operation, helped scale the ChocoVine brand from roughly 50,000 to more than 100,000 cases and expanded brands such as Italicus, Cherry Heering and Mandarine Napoléon. His earlier leadership at Disaronno helped build a nearly 50-person team and established a dedicated U.S. distribution model for the iconic brand.

He has leveraged these experiences and acts as an adviser, offering consulting services to entrepreneurs looking to grow their beverage brands.

Yet despite these accomplishments, Mr. Iglesias attributes his success more to effort and perseverance than to natural gifts. He explains that he never saw himself as the smartest, strongest or most naturally advantaged person in the room. Instead, he learned early that he would need to work harder than others to achieve the same results. Mr. Iglesias notes, "I want my legacy to be 'this guy really cared about people, really helped people and really guided and mentored people into discovering their capabilities.'"

"Peter Iglesias exemplifies the kind of leader Marquis Who's Who is proud to recognize," said the Marquis Who's Who editorial team. "His career reflects exceptional executive ability, but just as importantly, a deeply human commitment to helping others heal, grow and find purpose."

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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America^®, Marquis Who's Who^® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America^® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis^® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who^® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who