WSTA boosts board with five new appointments to meet challenges facing the industry

The WSTA has significantly boosted its board with five new appointments that includes the wine bosses of Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Berry Bros & Rudd.

Lizzy Rudd of Berry Bros & Rudd has joined the WSTA board

The additions, which take the total number on the board to 16, come as the trade association gears up for “whatever new trading landscape is awaiting the trade” post-Brexit, to ensure that “all perspectives are heard when tackling the issues facing the wine and spirit trade going into 2020”, it said.

The new board members are Elizabeth Newman and Jason Godley, the directors for Beers, Wines & Spirits at Sainsbury’s and Tesco respectively, Lizzy Rudd, executive chairman at fine wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, Bertrand Steip, managing director at Champagne house Moët Hennessy UK and Adrian Curry, managing director at glass manufacturer Encirc.

WSTA chairman and CEO of Bibendum PLB, Michael Saunders, who took up the chairmanship in June this year, said the addition of the new board members’ “collective wealth of experience” would ensure the WSTA could 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,” he said.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale added the organisation covered a bigger brief than ever before and it was vital to have a board that could represent all parts of the diverse wine and spirit 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.”

“I firmly believe that the WSTA is 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.”

Encirc boss Adrian Curry said the industry, like many others, was facing “unprecedented challenges in the environmental, political and supply chain arenas”, while Godley added that he was looking forward to working closely with others from across the drinks trade “to drive the industry forward in a positive way”.

In June, the trade association named Brad Madigan, managing director for Campari Group UK and Sébastien Desreumaux, CEO of iForce and Eddie Stobart Contract Logistics to the board.