Armit poaches new MD from Berry Bros & Rudd

Armit Wines has appointed Berry Bros & Rudd’s Kirsten Kilby as its new managing director.

Kilby is taking over from Mike Laing, who is leaving the business after more than ten years with the company, and will take on the new role in October.

She joined BBR in January 2013 as marketing director before being appointed chief executive of the Wine Division, and then global chief marketing officer, a role she has held since last October.

Prior to joining BBR, she held a number of marketing and communications roles in the luxury good market, as Head of marketing UK and Ireland for LVMH’s Tag Heuer, and fashion brands Aquascutum, Nicole Farhi, French Connection and Paul Smith.

Armit’ said she was joining at a period of significant development in the UK wine industry.

The breadth of her experience both within the wine industry and in the wider luxury goods arena will bring great value to the business, its customers and its suppliers, “ chairman Dominic Collier said.

The company is the UK division of Dutch wine merchant, Baarsma Wine Group, which operates in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, the UK and South Africa. Last year the group, which is owned by private equity firm AAC Capital Partners, saw turnover exceed €220m, with Armit Wines turning over around £20m of sales in the year to 31 March 2016. It is the exclusive agency for brands including Gaja, Ornellaia, Tenuta San Guido and Bruno Giacosa in Italy and has a fine wine portfolio which includes Château Lafleur and Domaine Leflaive, which it distributes to the on- and off-trade, with other merchants and with our own private clients.