Whom You Know: MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Malcolm M. Lloyd, MD Co-Founder & CEO of Old Nassau Imports

Thursday, July 16, 2009

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Malcolm M. Lloyd, MD Co-Founder & CEO of Old Nassau Imports

Dr. Malcolm Lloyd possesses a unique background that is both scientific and entrepreneurial. He is a trained biomedical engineer with a degree from The Johns Hopkins University, and a doctor of medicine with a degree from Dartmouth Medical School. About half-way through medical school, the soon to be Dr. Lloyd discovered that he also had a passion for entrepreneurial ventures. After an internship with a prestigious biotechnology venture capital firm (MPM Capital), Dr. Lloyd was offered a job as an entrepreneur in residence. It was there he founded his first company, a successful healthcare information technology firm.

A visionary with a strong entrepreneurial drive, Dr. Lloyd discovered his true calling in 2005 when he co-founded Old Nassau Imports (ONI), a luxury spirits company, along with his godfather who had been in the liquor industry for more than 30 years. Dr. Lloyd worked around the clock for 3 years to gather all of the necessary tools to develop a successful luxury spirit brand.

Dr. Lloyd’s goal was to develop a vodka that possessed unparalleled purity, taste and heritage. After conducting an extensive search throughout Eastern Europe, Dr. Lloyd met another scientist in Slovakia, master distiller Dr. Jan Krak, who had spent a lifetime creating the perfect vodka. Given that Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Krak shared the same enthusiasm for science as well as a vision for creating the purest and best-tasting vodka, they quickly formed a partnership and created Double Cross Vodka, a clean, crisp and pure vodka with great character and minimal hangover effects.

Since its launch in metropolitan New York and New Jersey in 2008, Double Cross Vodka has quickly become one of the most fascinating new spirit brands. As the only Slovakian spirit to be released in the United States, Double Cross is also the only vodka brand in history to ever win “Gold Medals” for both taste and package design at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition in March 2008. The rectangular Double Cross bottle presents a unique combination of modern style and sophistication while honoring the heritage and culture of Slovakia with verses of Slovakian poetry silk screened on the back. Additionally, the brand’s striking Double Cross logo, derived from the Slovakian flag and coat of arms, serves as the centerpiece of the bottle design.

Dr. Lloyd’s entrepreneurial drive is insatiable and he is passionate about starting companies, developing new products, and finding committed business partners and investors. His dedication to innovation and creativity, determination and strong leadership style, along with his willingness to explore new and unexpected challenges, are some of the traits that make Dr. Lloyd a successful CEO of ONI and Double Cross Vodka.

Today, Double Cross Vodka can be found at the finest restaurants, bars, lounges and liquor stores in the metropolitan New York area as well as New Jersey. Given Dr. Lloyd’s unwavering commitment and passion to ONI and Double Cross Vodka, it won’t be long before consumers will discover Double Cross Vodka at venues nationwide.

Whom You Know covered Double Cross Vodka in Champagne Wishes:

http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/07/champagne-wishes-double-cross-vodka.html

Now we are pleased to present Malcolm Lloyd as our latest Mover and Shaker!

Peachy Deegan interviewed Malcolm Lloyd for Whom You Know.

Peachy Deegan: With such a strong medical background, what made you want to go into the spirits industry?
Malcolm Lloyd: Over the years, I’ve realized that, more than anything else professionally, I am an entrepreneur. I was working in the pharmaceutical industry designing and implementing clinical trials for novel pharmaceutical compounds, and I was spending a lot of time with a close family friend (and my godfather) because I was living in the same town. He was in the spirits industry and I found the entrepreneurial potential of that industry fascinating.

What do you like the best: healthcare, venture capital, or entrepreneurship?
If you like them equally what do you like about each?
Entrepreneurship is by far my favorite of the three. I’m happy as an entrepreneur, irrespective of the industry. I happen to absolutely love the sprits business right now.

What other entrepreneurial ambitions do you have?
I have a company that I started about 5 years ago, called Device Evolutions. While it may have serious potential as an important venture in the medical device space in the future, right now its an opportunity to help teach biomedical engineering students how to solve important medical problems. Its my way of giving back to inspiring young minds and aspiring young entrepreneurs. I am a 1994 graduate of the biomedical engineering program at The Johns Hopkins University.

Where is Double Cross sold in Manhattan as far as prominent stores?
Astor Wine and Spirits, Gotham Wine and Spirits, Bowery and Vine, Union Square Liquors. The list is over 100 stores and can be found at our website. www.doublecrossvodka.com

What restaurants is it featured at in Manhattan?
It is literally featured in hundreds of restaurants. It would be best to check that out online.

How is it that Double Cross has minimal hangover effects?
We spent years ensuring the distillation process minimized the amount of impurities in Double Cross.

What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?
Anywhere with my fiancé, Solange, and my son, Nicholas. I recently have been enjoying Battery Park.

What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?
If I had a favorite shop in Manhattan, I think I’d be too selective to live here…

What is your favorite drink?
Double Cross, straight up, with a twist.

What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
Same answer as my favorite shop. Its honestly an impossible question to answer!

What has been your best Manhattan athletic experience?
Biking to Chelsea Piers, playing ice hockey, biking with a friend to central park and then running in the park. Perhaps my most grueling as well.

What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?
Have dinner at 4am.

What has been your best Manhattan art or music experience?
My fiancé, Solange, is a broadway performer in the show Chicago. I think the 15 times I’ve seen that show with her in it must be the best.

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
Underrated – how close NYC is to some beautiful country places in New Jersey and New York
Overrated – Cost of living!

What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
That everything about Double Cross is genuine.

How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
Send me an email at mlloyd@doublecrossvodka.com

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