The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has appointed Mark Riley of Edrington UK as its new Chair. He will be supported by Pierpaolo Petrassi MW from Waitrose in a newly created position as Deputy Chair.
The pair follow Michael Saunders, CEO of Bibendum Wines, three-year term as Chair and 10 years on the Board.
The trade association stated that both new appointments were “titans of the wine and spirit trade” and take on the WSTA helm at a time when the industry is focused on recovery and rejuvenation during what continues to be a turbulent time.
Riley has worked in the premium spirits industry for 25 years and as Managing Director at Edrington UK he has led the business through a period of growth and accelerated change. Prior to joining Edrington UK, he held various senior sales and customer marketing roles within Beam Inc and Diageo.
With almost 40 years’ experience in the wine and spirit industry, Petrassi is currently Head of Trading at Waitrose and became a Master of Wine in 2007. He previously held roles in Carnevale Group, International Wine Services, Waverley TBS, and Tesco.
As well as keeping a close eye on traditional categories, the WSTA noted that the new team will also encourage more work in the low/no sector, mixing of categories, and efforts to help guide the sector down the environmental path to Net Zero.
Riley commented: “It is clear the industry faces significant challenges, and my primary focus will be to ensure that the WSTA meets these head on, as it always has done, capably guiding both its members and the government through an ever-changing trading landscape. It is vital the industry continues to speak with one voice, and we embrace changes that need to be made in areas such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
“I am excited about what lies ahead, working with Pierpaolo, Miles and the incredible team at the WSTA to push forward our agenda and create the best trading environment for our industry.”
Chief Executive of the WSTA, Miles Beale, added: “We warmly welcome Mark as chair and Pierpaolo as deputy chair, providing us with leadership from two titans of the wine and spirit trade. We are incredibly lucky to have such experienced people at the WSTA helm giving the WSTA more access and insight across the industry at a time when we need it most. The combination of producer and retailer, spirits and wine, brings to the board the perfect cocktail of credentials which we need to help the trade recover, rebuild and robustly take on the challenges ahead.”
