J.C. Newman has announced that it has hired Aldo Puncioni as its new international sales director.

“I am thrilled to welcome Aldo to our family,” said Bobby Newman, executive vice president, via a press release. “Today, J.C. Newman cigars are sold in 86 countries around the world, and my family and I are very excited that Aldo will be sharing our family’s story and cigars in Europe.”

Puncioni brings more than a decade of experience in the cigar industry to his new role. Most notably, he has been the owner of a successful cigar store in Venice, Italy, with retail experience dating back some 11 years. He is also the president of the Venice Cigar Club, a member of Cigar Journal magazine’s tasting panel, and he developed the Smoking Moses Razor Cut cigar cutter.

“After 11 years as a retailer in Venice, now I feel so blessed to be part of this wonderful industry,” said Puncioni via a press release. “The Newmans welcomed me in their beautiful family, and I’m really honored to be their face in Europe. I’m living in a dream, a dream made of passion for cigars, and true love for the community of cigar smokers.”

Puncioni will be based in Italy and will oversee J.C. Newman’s sales in Europe and its European bonded warehouse in Slovakia. He succeeds the late Stefan Bastiaenssens, who served in the role from 2018 until his untimely passing in 2020.

Image courtesy of J.C. Newman.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.