Editor’s note: WRAL TechWire goes one-on-one with Eric Masters, the new CEO of MATI. Masters, who worked 10 years at The Coca-Cola Company, was named to the job last week. But he is no stranger to the startup, having already come on board as an investor two years ago. Our Q&A:

  • Why did you pursue the job? Were you recruited or did you apply? How did you find out about the position?

I became an investor in MATI in 2016. The brand has excelled locally, and the board was looking for new leadership to help with the next phase: accelerating growth and national expansion.

MATI

After several conversations, we agreed this is a great fit and I came on board.

  • What excites you most about the opportunity?

The opportunity to help MATI reach its potential.

It’s a fantastic product that meets so many consumer needs and can truly help folks in their daily lives. MATI tastes great, has all natural, healthy ingredients, and provides consumers with steady energy to help them through the day.

It provides a much-needed, healthier alternative to several “synthetic and hyped up” energy drinks, so we need to get the word out.

  • You know the challenges of growing a new beverage. MATI appears to have gotten off to a good start. How is MATI at this time prepared to grow? 

MATI has definitely gotten off to a great start! It’s already one of the leading brands in the “Natural Supermarket Channel” in the Southeast.

Once you have a great tasting product, it’s all about getting the word out and building your distribution networks to support the growth.

  • What do you need to beef up?

Building out our distribution channels and DSD partnerships is the #1 priority and definite strength of our new VP of Sales, Mark Mullins.

  • Your chairman Chairman Rob Soni says the company is raising new funding and planning expansion. What are your goals for this growth plan? 

MATI plans to launch into several new markets in 2019 and this funding will help drive our expansion.

  • After years of experience at a large conglomerate, what lessons and experiences from Coca Cola will be applicable to leading a startup?

#1 you need a great tasting product. Check.

#2 you need to create a great lifestyle brand that connects with your core consumers. In motion.

#3 you need a team and a network of distributors and partners to succeed. This is our top priority.

  • Why leave corporate for startups?

I enjoy the sense of urgency and the potential for significant growth. My corporate experience at Coca-Cola taught me the fundamentals of how to create and grow a successful brand — taking that experience to the startup world where you can grow anywhere from 20% to 2,000% in a year is exciting!

  • Did you have a role in hiring the new sales VP? What are his strengths? [Mark Mullins, who served as vice president of sales and was co-founder of Social House Vodka, joined MATI as vice president of sales.]

Yes – I helped recruit Mark Mullins to the company. He brings significant sales leadership, CPG and distributor experience to the table.