The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has welcomed five new faces to its board bringing in expertise from across the industry.
Ahead of whatever new trading landscape is awaiting the trade the WSTA has welcomed two supermarkets, a fine wine and spirit merchant, a Champagne house and a glass manufacturer into the boardroom.
Amongst the newcomers are the Directors for Beers, Wines & Spirits at Sainsbury’s, Elizabeth Newman and Tesco, Jason Godley. As well as Lizzy Rudd, Executive Chairman at Berry Bros. & Rudd, Bertrand Steip, Managing Director at Moët Hennessy UK Ltd, and Adrian Curry, Managing Director at Encirc, all of whom attended their first WSTA Board meeting at the end of last month.
The five industry leaders take the WSTA board membership up to 16 and will ensure that all perspectives are heard when tackling the issues facing the wine and spirit trade going into 2020.
The WSTA believes the diverse set of skills around their boardroom table creates an environment where both domestic and global businesses, SME’s and multinationals have a voice when it comes to shaping the future of the wine and spirit category.
Michael Saunders, Chairman of the WSTA, comments:
“I am delighted to have welcomed five experienced industry figures as WSTA board members.
They will add their collective wealth of experience to an already impressive WSTA Board to ensure that we hear and consider views from all types of businesses and from all corners the wine and spirit industry.
As a Board we are increasingly well equipped and motivated to deliver the WSTA’s aims for our industry, including more active engagement in setting the WSTA’s agenda and delivering its recently refreshed aims in what promises to be another challenging year in 2020.”
Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, Miles Beale, said:
“The WSTA is now offering more products and services covering a bigger brief than ever before. And I firmly believe that the WSTA in unique among organisations in the UK drinks industry for its size and breadth of membership, as well as the proven support it provides to organisations large and small – and at every point in our industry’s supply chain.
To deliver on our members’ priorities, it is vital which to have a Board that can – and will – represent all parts of our diverse sector. I am looking forward to working with Michael and the WSTA Board as we get ready to tackle a new government, a new trading environment and new challenges in an era of unprecedented change.”
The wave of new board members comes after Michael Saunders took up the role of Chair earlier this year and following on the WSTA’s publication of “Our Vision, Your Voice”, a document setting out its aims and priorities moving forward.
In order to deliver more services and a bigger brief than ever before the WSTA believes a Board representing a broader brush of membership is crucial.
In 2020 the WSTA aims to use its top team of experts to help shape government policy and provide advice and guidance to members to support them to trade grow and create jobs.
Notes to editors:
Biogs and quotes from new board members:
Elizabeth Newman, Director for Beers, Wines & Spirits at Sainsbury’s, said: “It’s an incredibly interesting time to be joining the WSTA. The industry is being challenged in so many ways and I’m excited to be part of a team that is personally and professionally invested in protecting and influencing the future. I hadn’t appreciated the degree to which the WSTA proactively, on behalf of members and non-members, works tirelessly to represent our interests publicly. I’m excited and curious to see what’s next on our agenda!”
Elizabeth Newman took up the roles as category director back in 2013, whilst heading up the trading insights team at Sainsbury’s, Elizabeth worked with the BWS team to develop its 5-year alcohol strategy. It was a natural step to later join to the BWS team to deliver the strategy and was promoted to Category Director in June 2015. Elizabeth leads a large multi skilled team responsible for partnering with global alcohol producers to enable Sainsbury’s to provide the best drinks choices to its customers; developing and delivering strategies for growth of branded and of course Sainsbury’s own label drinks. Developing a sustainable and responsible industry is a top priority for Elizabeth. Elizabeth is passionate about the industry and recently achieved her WSET Level 3 qualification. Prior to Sainsbury’s, Elizabeth held various roles in the market research and media industries.
Jason Godley, Director of Beers, Wines and Spirits at Tesco, said:
“I am excited to be joining the WSTA board, particularly at such an interesting time for the industry. The WSTA is an important organisation and I’m looking forward to working closely with others from across the drinks trade, to help support its members and to drive the industry forwards in a positive way.”
Jason has spent nearly three decades in the retail industry and has worked at Tesco for 24 years. He joined the supermarket in 1995 and has held a number of high-profile roles in the business since, in both the UK and Asia.
Jason led the Tesco wine business from 2004, following senior buying roles across the impulse categories. In 2009 he became a director and in 2011 relocated to Asia to take the role of Commercial Director for Tesco Malaysia. Returning to the UK in 2016, Jason became Tesco Convenience Product Director and in the same year was appointed Commercial Director of Tesco subsidiary business One Stop, a board position he still holds. Jason was reunited with his old team in early 2019, when he took the role of Director for Beers, Wines and Spirits.
Jason cites his time in the Tesco wine team as a particular career highlight and was eager to return to a role working with the UK drinks industry and to reigniting a personal passion for wine.
Lizzy Rudd, Executive Chairman at Berry Bros & Rudd, said:
“In these times of economic and political uncertainty it is more important than ever to have the WSTA working together with members and alongside the UK Government to navigate our industry through these challenging times. I am delighted to join the Board on behalf of the UK’s oldest fine wine and spirits merchant to ensure future prosperity and sustainability for all our businesses over the long term”
Lizzy Rudd started her career at Berry Bros. & Rudd in the marketing team, where she was responsible for building the global reputation of the firm’s renowned whisky brand Cutty Sark.
When Lizzy left the company almost a decade later to concentrate on her young family, she was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director. She was appointed the role of Deputy Chairman in 2005, working alongside Chairman Simon Berry and in December 2017, Lizzy took on the role of the company’s Chairman following Simon’s retirement and in January 2019 she was announced as the Company’s Executive Chairman.
Lizzy has played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Family Board which sits alongside the Executive Board and has played an integral part in the work carried out on the restructuring and governance of the Executive Board.
Lizzy has also been central in communicating the vision of Berry Bros. & Rudd on behalf of the Rudd and Berry families. This vision has been essential in guiding the planned direction of the company and feeds directly into the overall strategy for Berry Bros & Rudd.
Bertrand Steip – Managing Director at Moët Hennessy UK Ltd, said:
“It is an honour to be invited to join the WSTA board. I look forward to working alongside a group of other industry leaders to strengthen the unique lighthouse position that the UK has in the global wine and spirits market.”
Bertrand Steip was appointed Managing Director at Moët Hennessy UK Ltd. for UK and Ireland in 2017, leading the third largest market in the world for premium wines and spirits. With over 30 years’ experience within the industry, he now manages the wines and spirits branch of LVMH in the United Kingdom, in charge of iconic industry leading brands including Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy.
Prior to his current position, Bertrand has worked in-house on several wines and spirits brands across a variety of roles, including Business Development Director for Americas, Africa & Middle East for Moët & Chandon (1995-1999), Vice President of Sales for Schieffelin & Somerset in New York (2002-2005), and most recently, International Commercial Director for Moët & Chandon (2012-2017).
With proficiency in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, and having lived and worked in 5 different countries, Bertrand has extensive knowledge of different international markets, ranging from Europe and the USA to South America.
