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L’imperatrice announces new management updates
Hong Kong fine wine importer L’imperatrice has revealed management changes in the company, which is now led by the chairman and sole shareholder, Michael Kwong.
In the notice, it said Julien Froger, founder and former CEO of L’imperatrice, has officially left the company in May 2020.
The company is now under the new management led by the Chairman and sole shareholder Michael Kwong.
The company emphasised that “the company has completed the business transformation with healthy operating and business model”, and they will continue to thrive with expansion to new areas”.
Kwong comes from an entrepreneur background specialising in property investments and manufacturing in China. He met Froger in early 2016 and became the major shareholder of the company to financially support the expansion.
In the meantime, the company announces Hervé Pennequin as the latest head of business development. Pennequin arrived in Hong Kong in 2010, after 13 years in the USA.
He was previously the chef sommelier and restaurant manager in many 2-starred and 3-starred Michelin restaurants in France such as Lucas Carton, Pre Catelan, Hostellerie de Levernois.
He won the third place in the Best Sommelier of the World Competition in 2004 and was awarded “Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole Français” in 2015 for his work in defending French gastronomy throughout the World.
After five years as head sommelier at the Hong Kong Jockey Club and an experience with another importer specialised in Bordeaux wine, Pennequin joined L’Imperatrice with a mission to work closely with the estates and as their ambassador to client partners through edutainments, tastings and diners.
Also, the company highlighted the fact that Muyi Beijing and L’Imperatice are now separate companies after Kong purchased the major share of the company in 2016.
The company’s allocations of Burgundy wines have been maintained for most of the domaines that decided to stay with them, and it had an overall increase of more than 30% in number of new niche estates in Champagne and Burgundy.
It has also developed on other French wine regions, with “new rising star” estates that conduct their farming under sustainable and biodynamic methods and beliefs.