Meet Daniel M. Goldstone, a seasoned Human Resources executive serving as the Chief People Officer at Riboli Family Wines. With a keen operational insight and a focus on people performance, he excels at aligning HR vision and strategy with business objectives.
Daniel is a skilled agent of cultural change, well-versed in the art and science of talent development and human performance enhancement. His expertise spans a wide range of HR disciplines, including HR business partnering, performance and change management, crisis leadership, and continuous improvement.
Goldstone’s proficiency extends to organizational and leadership development, as well as sales consulting, making him a versatile and invaluable asset to any organization.
Charting a Course: The Journey in Sales and Leadership Recognition
Daniel’s career embarked in the realm of sales, an experience that profoundly influenced his approach to supporting people. “Understanding the commercial business first helped shape the approach I have in supporting people,” he reflects.
Daniel believes that HR can best meet an organization’s needs by comprehensively understanding how the company’s operations function, enabling HR to act as a true business partner. He appreciates the diversity and uniqueness of the HR profession, noting that it embraces various approaches. “Understanding different approaches to HR allows individuals to find a good organizational match and culture in which they can excel,” he adds.
Regarding recognition, Daniel explains “I find the most rewarding piece of recognition in the role as a mentor and coach.” He considers it a privilege to help individuals, both current colleagues and those from the early stages of his career, seeking advice, counsel, or a safe sounding board.
Daniel views recognition as a series of relationships, an opportunity to give back, help others, and take pride in enabling the success of others throughout his career journey.
Navigating Success: A Leader’s Perspective
Daniel views success through the lens of being of service to others, considering it a privilege to work in a profession he loves. “I don’t take that responsibility lightly,” he emphasizes. His approach to HR is guided by three key principles. Firstly, he advocates for candor, leading with transparency, honesty, and facts to build strong relationships. “If you do this,” Daniel asserts, “when times get tough, it will allow you to tackle issues with authenticity.”
Secondly, Daniel emphasizes respect, acknowledging that everyone has their responsibilities and motivations. “We don’t know everyone’s personal journeys,” he points out. “Assuming positive intent and leading with mutual respect yields results.”
Finally, Daniel underscores the importance of trust, highlighting integrity and keeping one’s word as crucial for any HR professional. “If you hold true to your authentic self,” he believes, “you are a more effective partner to those whom you are supporting.”
Embracing Change in the Crucible of Challenges
Daniel credits his entry into the HR industry to the guidance of good coaches and mentors. “Good coaches and mentors are invaluable, especially when starting your career,” he reflects. “These mentors/coaches can see things about you that you don’t yet see.”
Fortunate to have received such guidance early in his career, Daniel was able to broaden his perspective, let go of preconceived notions about his career path, and leverage his strengths, ultimately leading him to take a leap of faith into HR. He carries this experience with him, striving to provide similar guidance to others. “As I get the privilege of coaching,” Daniel explains, “I do my best to provide feedback to unlock the potential of others, as they launch and navigate their careers.”
Daniel believes that challenges and crises have the power to bond people and bring out their best. “We can see the best of people when times get tough,” he observes. “When we hit these roadblocks, it creates opportunities to leverage the individual strengths of the people that surround you.”
This belief was reaffirmed during the recent global pandemic, which presented unprecedented challenges with no roadmap for guidance. Daniel sees this as a unique opportunity for the HR profession to demonstrate its value in helping steer organizations through crisis.
A Legacy of Excellence: Riboli Family Wines
Riboli Family Wines, a family-owned enterprise since 1917, boasts a rich history of crafting award-winning wines for over a century. Under its umbrella, the Riboli Fine Wines division, Stella Rosa® Wines & Spirits, and the Innovation portfolio stand as pillars of its success.
The Riboli Fine Wine division encompasses the Domestic Portfolio, featuring California estate-based brands sourced from their sustainably farmed vineyards. Their Import Portfolio showcases wines from family growers committed to sustainable and organic practices across the globe.
Stella Rosa® Wines, recognized as the #1 Import Brand in the US, continues to expand its reach with the recent introduction of the Spirits category and Stella Rosa® Brandy. The Riboli Family’s commitment to innovation is further evidenced by their evolving Innovations portfolio, which includes Italian wines, spirits, and more.
The Riboli Family Wines credo is rooted in the belief that great achievements stem from hard work and perseverance. This dedication extends to maintaining the excellence and integrity that reflect the Riboli family’s legacy spanning four generations.
The company’s vision is centered around pursuing innovation in all aspects of its operations, constantly seeking ways to enhance the experience and enjoyment of its customers. A guiding principle at Riboli Family Wines is “Sempre Avanti,” meaning always moving forward. This ethos has been foundational to the company’s success since its inception in 1917 and remains its rallying cry for the future.
Led by the 3rd and 4th generations of the Riboli Family, known for their passion for business and innovation, the company continues to lead the industry and push the boundaries of winemaking and the wine-drinking experience. For more information, please visit www.riboliwines.com.
Empowering Excellence and Leading with Purpose
As the Chief People Officer for Riboli Family Wines, Daniel Goldstone sees his role as pivotal in enabling both individual and business success. He finds the variability of day-to-day responsibilities in the HR profession both exciting and challenging. His primary focus lies in caring for the company’s employees, ensuring their health, wellness, and safety are paramount.
“I seek to provide solutions to problems that help the organization unlock its potential,” Daniel explains, highlighting his innovative approach to new ideas. Effective and urgent communication, along with collaboration and partnership with stakeholders, are key aspects of his role. He emphasizes the importance of simplifying processes to make tasks easier for team members, recognizing that a supportive culture leads to collective success.
Daniel believes in modeling the behaviors expected from the organization and places a high value on active listening. “Really listen (it’s competency) and seek to understand to provide solutions,” he advises, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding.
Leading with kindness is at the core of Daniel’s leadership approach, as he believes it is essential for fostering a performance-based culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Pioneering Progress in HR and Organizational Culture
Throughout his career, Daniel has strived to elevate HR as a strategic partner within organizations. “I hope during my career, I have been able to incorporate HR as a strategic partner for the organization,” he reflects. Daniel has worked to create a space where servant leadership is not just a concept but a lived reality. By focusing on employee engagement, diversity, equity, and inclusion, he has contributed to achieving business success.
Daniel has placed a strong emphasis on talent development, coaching, and empowerment at all levels of the organization. He believes in leveraging a positive and inclusive culture to drive cross-functional collaboration. “Make sure there is open communication and psychological safety,” Daniel adds, highlighting the importance of fostering an environment where innovation and new ways of doing things can thrive.
Above all, Daniel prioritizes caring for the whole individual, recognizing that a healthy and happy team leads to a culture and workplace where everyone wants to be. “If you have healthy and happy team members in both body and mind, it leads to a culture and place you want to be a part of,” he observes.
Daniel believes that ensuring a culture of integrity at Riboli Family Wines is a collective effort. “Culture is everyone,” he emphasizes, noting that culture is not defined by platforms or programs but demonstrated daily through the actions of all employees.
“As the People function of the organization, our objective is to ensure that we help define an authentic culture that leads to individual and organizational success,” Daniel explains. At Riboli, authenticity is a cornerstone of their operations, and HR plays a critical role in ensuring that the organization operates with integrity at all levels.
Embracing Evolution and Technology in HR
Daniel emphasizes the critical importance of acknowledging and approaching the current workforce with honesty. “While every organization is unique, the workplace has changed,” he observes. Daniel believes that companies must remain nimble to support their team members effectively in this evolving landscape.
“Flexibility enables a stronger talent pool and a more engaged workforce,” he asserts. Daniel emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where people feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work, built on trust and clear goals.
Utilizing technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has been transformative for HR, freeing up time from redundant administrative tasks. “Technology can let HR have more visibility into people metrics and business intelligence,” Daniel explains. This visibility provides data that was once invisible, helping to mitigate financial risk for organizations.
While self-service platforms and integrations can enhance the employee experience, Daniel notes that they do not replace the need for interpersonal connectivity. He believes that technology should be leveraged to provide more valuable deliverables to the organization while maintaining the human touch that is essential for effective HR management.
Aspirations in HR Leadership: Fostering Excellence and Inclusivity
Daniel states his personal goals as an HR leader are “Through authenticity, empathy, inclusiveness, trust, and connectivity, our HR Goal is to be of service to all the people we support”.
Daniel’s efforts are directed towards several key objectives:
- Enabling a Performance-Driven Culture: Cultivating a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Talent Management: Retaining, hiring, and developing the right talent to support individual and organizational success.
- Development and Training: Providing tools and training that enable people to succeed in their current and future roles.
- Recognition: Making recognition core and common to all employees.
- Health, Wellness, and Safety: Promoting the health, wellness, and safety of teams.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Defining and instituting what diversity and inclusion mean for the organization.
- Simplification: Simplifying existing and new processes and programs for maximum impact.
- Engagement: Fostering engagement among employees.
- Thought Partnership: Providing thought partnership and leadership on culture, personnel, and strategy issues.
- Organizational Change: Enabling organizational change effectively.
In defining himself in one word, Daniel chooses “authentic.” This choice reflects his commitment to genuineness and sincerity in all aspects of his professional endeavors.
Balancing Act: Wellness and Motivation in Professional Life
Daniel believes that wellness is not a passing trend but a fundamental aspect of sustaining oneself. He underscores the importance of mental and physical health, noting that being strong in mind and body fuels productive lives and performance.
Daniel urges not to treat wellness as a secondary priority but as an imperative. “Each of us needs to own our personal well-being,” he asserts, highlighting the personal nature of wellness. He believes that wellness should not be dictated externally but should be a self-driven endeavor. “It is not for others to judge, but for us to ask for help when needed and be the curators of our own health,” he explains.
Guiding Aspiring HR Professionals and Leaders
Daniel believes that the challenges of recent years have provided HR with an opportunity to truly shine. “No one can say we don’t face obstacles and that hurdles don’t exist, but it is critical for HR to ‘RESET POSITIVE,'” he advises.
This mindset allows HR professionals to see the optimism ahead and let go of non-controllables that can lead to exhaustion with negativity. To “RESET POSITIVE,” Daniel offers several ideas for a successful HR career:
- Get Off to A Quick Start: It is imperative to get going quickly and GET INTO ACTION. The action can be big or small, but moving your HR efforts forward will help you show value quickly for the organization you support.
- Set Attainable Goals That Will Stretch You: Everyone wants to feel like our HR efforts lead to results. Build attainable goals first, to give you momentum and propel your fast start.
- Find the Right Organizational Culture that Complements Your Values: Culture matters. We are better connected and supportive if we recognize that the strength of our internal relationships helps us support each other’s deliverables and fosters a positive environment.
- Kindness is Key, Kindness Matters: When you treat others with kindness, you will be wonderfully surprised by what you get in return. We all have different stories and motivators that are not visible to each other. Leading with Kindness only has an upside. This is a point of differentiation for HR Professionals.
- Optimism Defined: We can do so much more by focusing our energies on the “good stuff” that surrounds us. I believe our work matters; I believe in Teams and when you believe in both, your commitment and passion will drive your success and the organization’s success that you support.
- Positive Intent: We need to reinforce the notion that the HR Team and the Organization you work for are, collectively, all in it together. Everyone is motivated by different reasons to work, but you are on the same team and that is critical to remember when times get tough, and you feel pulled from your Goals/Purpose, as an HR function.
“If you have not done so, define your core beliefs, what they mean to you and use those as your guiding principles throughout your HR Career,” Daniel insists as he emphasizes that believing in the importance of HR work and the power of teams can drive both personal and organizational success.
Conclusion
Daniel M. Goldstone’s impact on HR leadership is profound and far-reaching. His unwavering commitment to authenticity, positivity, and inclusivity has not only elevated the role of HR within organizations but has also inspired a new generation of professionals to approach their work with compassion and purpose.
In the realm of Human Resources, Daniel stands as a beacon of positivity and authenticity. As HR continues to evolve, his example serves as a guiding light, reminding us all of the importance of leading with kindness and integrity in every aspect of our professional lives.
Through his leadership, Daniel has not only reshaped the role of HR within organizations but also inspired countless professionals in the field. His journey is not just a story of career progression; it is a testament to the transformative power of genuine leadership in fostering a culture of excellence and empathy.
