Pierpaolo Petrassi MW stepping down from BWS role at Waitrose
Pierpaolo Petrassi MW is stepping down from his role as head of trading for beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks at Waitrose after 16 “incredible” years at the retailer.
Announcing his departure on LinkedIn yesterday, Petrassi said that leaving a place that had been such a massive part of his life is “never easy” and that the business had been more than an employer by championing“the values I hold most dear – fairness, courage, equality, honesty and integrity”.
He said he that with more than 40 years in the drinks trade, he would continue to champion the industry and its people, and was excited to explore “new possibilities” that will bring him close to products, producers and the people “that make it so special.”
“Drinks retail is, and always will be, a people business. Looking back, I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together; navigating change, championing innovation and continually setting the benchmark for quality,” he wrote. “The world of drinks is a unique community, fuelled by creativity, passion and a spirit of camaraderie that makes even the toughest days worthwhile.”
During his 16 years at Waitrose, Petrassi has made a huge contribution to the retailer and to wider BWS in retail, helping to introduce new wines and regions to consumers, and championing sustainability.
Speaking to the drinks business ten years ago, he said that despite the contraction that was happening across the BWS retail industry at that time, Waitrose “unashamedly” bucked that trend, recognising that customers want “a rich kaleidoscope [of wines]”, including new things curated for them as well as the classics. He noted the role of Waitrose in being “the archetypal retailer to show [customers] what the classics are.”
Partner Content
In May 2014, Waitrose launched its specialist wine e-commerce site, Waitrose Cellar, which it had developed for over a year, with the aim to better engage with customers and become a “key players in volume and quality”, it said at the time. Other key highlights over the years include the roll out of the retailer’s Blueprint and Loved & Found range, which helped introduce UK customers to little-known wines with a story.
He also did not shy away from warning retailers that they should not be “dumbing down” the message of the true value of wine by concentrating on low prices.
In addition to his role at Waitrose, Petrassi was a vice chairman at the WSTA for two years having spend eight years on the board of directors.
Prior to joining Waitrose, he was a senior product development manager at Tesco and prior to that, a wine buyer director at Waverly TBS, having followed his father into the wine industry in 1983. He was also the first Italian Master of Wine, gaining his MW in 2007.
Related news
Why the Waitrose independent beer section is the progressive change the sector needs
Waitrose 'reinvigorates' range with new own-label lines and a fresh promotional dynamic
