Moët Hennessy appoints new UK MD

Moët Hennessy has appointed a new managing director for its UK operations as current head of the London office, Jo Thornton, gets promoted to a position in the US.

Bertrand Steip will become managing director of Moët & Chandon UK on 1 July

Taking over from Thornton on 1 July will be Bertrand Steip, who is currently international director for Maisons Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon and Mercier, based in France.

Steip has worked for Moët Hennessy for 27 years, where has held a number of marketing, sales and general management positions, including a role as GM of Moët Hennessy Canada and vice president of sales at Schieffelin & Somerset, the New York based company representing the joint-venture distribution business in the US for Diageo and Moet Hennessy.

Jo Thornton is leaving the UK to become CEO of Moët Hennessy USA

Meanwhile, Thornton will be leaving the UK to become CEO of Moët Hennessy USA, after seven years as managing director of the UK office.

Thornton had previously spent almost four years in North America from 2006 to 2010 as SVP for the NE region at Moët Hennessy USA, and prior to that, various roles at the company in the UK since 1993, having joined the wines and spirits business shortly after graduating from the University of Warwick.