BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS

Pedrick presides at interbrew – Colin Pedrick, currently Interbrew UK’s managing director for on-trade sales…Master of Waitrose – Waitrose has confirmed its confidence in the Master of Wine qualification with the appointment of Justin Howard-Sneyd MW….

Pedrick presides at interbrew

Colin Pedrick, currently Interbrew UK’s managing director for on-trade sales, is to succeed Steve Cahillane as president of Interbrew UK and Ireland. He will take up this position following Cahillane’s recently announced promotion to chief commercial officer of InBev.

Having worked in the brewing industry since 1979, when he joined Whitbread as a regional sales manager from Unilever, Pedrick, 52, has gained extensive experience across all sectors of the business, having held sales, customer service and logistics roles spanning both the on-trade and take-home sectors.

Interbrew UK is also strengthening its brand-building expertise with the appointment of three marketing managers. James Watson has been appointed marketing manager for Ales & Stouts, joining from Diageo GB where he has been working as Guinness global innovation manager.

Adam Prentice has been recruited from Lion Breweries New Zealand, to take up the post of Interbrew UK marketing manager for Speciality Beers.

And Danny Masting is now marketing manager for Tennent’s, Scotland’s biggest selling beer brand. Masting has been working as a European marketing manager for Kimberley Clark where he was responsible for developing brand and portfolio strategy.

Master of Waitrose

Waitrose has confirmed its confidence in the Master of Wine qualification with the appointment of Justin Howard-Sneyd MW. He joins the Waitrose wine buying team in September to replace Simon Thorpe MW. Howard-Sneyd will work alongside the expertise of Dee Blackstock MW, Susan McCraith MW and Nick Room. Julian Brind MW will continue in his advisory role.

Howard-Sneyd will take up responsibility for Bordeaux, South and South West France, Rhône, South Africa, Italy and Germany. Justin has been in the wine trade for 14 years, including buying roles at Safeway and most recently at Sainsbury’s.

Rebecca Hull MW has also joined the buying team. She will take up the position of wine information manager in September. Hull has previously worked at Oddbins and Sainsbury’s. She replaces Julia Harding MW who leaves Waitrose to continue her work with Jancis Robinson MW.

Mark Williamson, head of buying wines, comments, “Both Justin and Rebecca will bring with them a wealth of experience and skills as well as a passion for wine. Their contribution will ensure we remain at the forefront of wine retailing and retain the unique reputation Waitrose has in the wine trade, both for quality, range and service.”

Foster’s integrates wine ops

FGL Wine Estates, a division of Foster’s Group, has appointed its senior European leadership team as it integrates the Beringer Blass Wine Estates and Southcorp wine businesses. Leading FGL Wine Estates, is John Philips, who assumes the role of managing director EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). 

Peter Jackson, who was previously VP European sales at Southcorp, has been appointed commercial director for continental Europe.

Neil Barker returns to the UK following his appointment as UK commercial director.

James Lousada assumes the role of marketing director for the EMEA region. Previous experience includes four years as marketing director at Anheuser-Busch.

Roux coup

DGB (Pty) Ltd takes pleasure in announcing the appointment of Jacques Roux as marketing director for wine as of 1 September. Jacques joins DGB from Graham Beck Wines where he has been marketing and sales director since 1990.

Until recently DGB has had its wine marketing largely integrated with its spirit brands. In light of the acquisition of Boschendal wines, however, its strategy going forward is to have a clearly defined department specifically for the marketing and promotion of its wine brands.

DGB’s chief executive officer, Tim Hutchinson hails the appointment and says, “I am delighted to have Jacques Roux join us as I rate him as one of the top wine marketing people in the industry.”

Jacques’ relationship with DGB has a substantial history dating back to his days with Union Wine in the late 1980s where he first worked with the Bellingham brand. He was again associated with the DGB wine brands in the late 1990s when the company was still owned by Kangra Holdings.

“Mr Graham Beck has given this appointment his full support,” comments Tim Hutchinson, CEO, “and I’m sure that Jacques will thrive on the exciting challenges ahead at the helm of Bellingham, Douglas Green and Boschendal wines.”

© db September 2005