WSTA welcomes Campari Group to board

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has welcomed global drinks firm Campari Group’s Francesco Cruciani to its executive board.

Cruciani will sit on the board having moved to London in October 2022 to become managing director of the group’s UK operations, including the opening of the business’s impressive new regional headquarters on Great Portland Street: Campari House.

He joined Campari in 2007 as marketing manager, before becoming Italian marketing director in 2009, and then managing director of the Italian market in 2014. After managing the Italian market for 4 years, he tool on new global role as managing director, group marketing capabilities and direct to consumer, and among other strategic project, focusing on the digital transformation of the group.

In 2020 he was appointed a corporate role, becoming managing director for Italian Icons (Aperol, Campari, Amaro Brands) overseeing the portfolio globally.

Experts

The WSTA said it aims to recruit “inspiring wine and spirit experts”, which will complement the board’s existing range of businesses and skill sets, and can represent the full range of the UK wine and spirit industry, including to government.

Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA said: “I am very pleased to announce that Francesco Cruciani from Campari Group has joined the WSTA board. He is yet another highly regarded global drinks expert from a recognised and respected global player. He will be able to offer ideas and great counsel to the Executive Board and WSTA team.

“We believe that our member companies will benefit from the mix of global, SME, producer and retail board members who will help us guide the sector at the dawn of a new political landscape.”

New government

Mark Riley, chair of the WSTA Board, focused on how the board will work with politicians, and said the new government would offer “a new set of challenges but also opportunities”.

He said: “Our primary focus is to ensure that the WSTA works closely with a new Labour government to iron out barriers to trade and embrace new opportunities.

“We are delighted that Francesco has taken a seat at the board to help us with the WSTA’s ongoing efforts to represent its members and the wider wine and spirit industry.”

Fresh start

The news comes as the WSTA welcomed the new government, but said that “urgent action” needed to be taken now to halt “unnecessary changes” to taxing wine in February 2025, and to “clear up” confusion over waste packaging regulations.

Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said he was “looking forward” to working with Labour, and highlighted how the party had “rightly” called for closer working between the government and business to deliver economic growth.

Beale said: “It feels like a fresh chapter and a chance to move away from the increasingly disconnected and heavy-handed approach of the previous government towards a closer and more collaborative working partnership with Labour.”

“Labour has pledged to support business with a stable policy environment and an approach to business taxation that allows long-term planning. We agree and are calling on new Ministers to stick to these principles for then lifetime of the new Parliament – starting with making permanent the temporary easement for wine duty and delaying the ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)’ scheme to ensure it is fit for purpose.”