WSTA bolsters executive team with three new appointments

The WSTA has appointed three heavy hitting new members to the executive team, as it gears up to help the industry recover from the disruption caused by Covid-19 and Brexit.

It has appointed Caroline Thompson-Hill, European managing director at Accolade, Alexei Rosin, managing director for UK and Ireland at Moët Hennessy UK and James Miles, chairman and managing director at Liv-ex – all representing differing areas within the trade. They will take over from Michelle Brampton, European MD of Treasury Wine Estates, who is leaving the company and Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, who has served two terms on the WSTA board.

Thompson-Hill is md at the UK’s largest wine company, Accolade, who the WSTA said had played a key role in helping the WSTA influence the UK/Australia Free Trade Agreement. Prior to joining the company in November 2019, Thompson-Hill was at Treasury Wine Estates for five year and before that at Diageo, working across the Europe and Americas regions.

Alexei Rosin joined Moët Hennessy in 1999 and rose through the ranks to become MD for UK and Ireland for Moët Hennessy UK Ltd last year. The WSTA said his appointment would “bring ballast, balance and well-known luxury brands to the board table”.  With over 25 years of experience within the industry, Rosin has worked in operational and strategic roles across the US and key European markets, most recently as managing director of Central & Eastern Europe. Other roles include commercial director for Europe, senior vice president national on-premise USA and sales director on-premise in the UK.

James Miles’s expertise of fine wine and global trading brings a different perspective to the WSTA table, the trade body said, having a background in investment management, equities and banking. He set up up Liv-ex in 2000 as a global marketplace for the wine trade. The company helps 530 wine merchants in 43 countries to price, buy and sell wine – giving Miles a  wealth of SME and indie contacts.

Miles Beal, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said he was delighted to welcome the new members to the board, who would work with WSTA team to strengthen the UK wine trade’s global reach and enhance the UK as a hub for wine trading.

“The UK wine industry faces a tough trading landscape as it makes up for losses brought about by the pandemic and Brexit disruption. By working together, we can continue to campaign and secure victories for the wine and spirit trade, as well as highlighting its importance to the UK economy and bring about changes which will benefit both businesses and consumers,” he said.

Thompson-Hill said the recent Australia Trade Agreement had been a welcome piece of positive news for the industry amid the challenges of the last few years. “This deal shows that Government recognises the importance of the UK wine industry and will benefit consumers,” she said.

Rosin added that it was key that the WSTA worked with Government to simplify the alcohol taxation system and prevent punishingly high duty rates on products like sparkling wine and spirits.”

James Miles described it as a crucial time and the board were campaigning hard to stop UK officials from imposing unnecessary import regulations on the wine trade.

“Rather than looking to cripple our industry, particularly SMEs, with costly red tape the government should be using this once in a lifetime opportunity to re-set our trading arrangements with the rest of the world in a way that enhances the UK’s leading position in the global wine trade,” he said.