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Quintessential Brands names new CFO as it eyes international growth

Quintessential Brands has appointed a new group chief finance officer, shortly after boosting its UK team, as it looks to boost both domestic and international growth.

Alex Pollard is joining the group from bakery and yeast ingredient company AB Mauri, a division of Associate British Foods, where he was CFO for three years. Prior to this, he was at pharmaceutical/biotech company Gillead Sciences, where he set up and oversaw key European division. Other fmcg experience includes a role as regional finance director for the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company.

Pollard replaces Roger Lowe, who is leaving in April, after two years with the company.

His appointment is the latest in a series of senior appointments, which includes the appointment of Tim Nuttall as finance director for the UK and France in and Alan Morris as the CFO for Ireland.

The company has also boosted its UK sales team earlier this month, appointing former Kingsland Drinks marketing director Neil Anderson as retail brand marketing director and Liz Peck from Fuller Brewery as business unit director of grocery.  Anderson will head up the company’s ‘Spirit Solutions’ business, tasked with continuing to grow the company’s retail brand and private label business, while Peck will lead the sales team looking after key customers in the grocery channel. They will work alongside UK managing director, James Lousada, business unit director for on-trade and wholesale, Cheryl Gordon, and premium brands marketing director, Russell Kirkham.

CEO Warren Scott said the company had grown rapidly in the UK and Ireland over the last eight years and was now the number two spirit supplier to the UK-off-trade, but was now setting its sights “firmly” on accelerating its global growth strategy.

“Alex is a seasoned business leader and brings with him a wealth of global finance expertise that I’m confident will help to further strengthen our organisation,” he said.

UK managing director James Lousada said the company was a “pivotal time for our business”, as it looked to build on its UK success.

Quintessential Brands was established in 2011 by the former CEO of the Campari Group Enzo Visone and entrepreneur Warren Scott, and soon acquiring one of the UK’s oldest gin producers, G&J Greenall, which at the time produced around 60% of the gin consumed in the UK.

The company saw turnover rise by around 154% to £7.3 million in the year to March 2018, up from £4.27 million the previous year, however losses grew to £712,000, accounts filed at Companies House showed.

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