English wine producer Chapel Down group has appointed Stewart Gilliland to its board as a Non-Executive Director.
Gilliland has over 30 years of experience in international marketing, logistics and business management and previously held executive roles with consumer-facing companies, including Whitbread, Mitchells & Butler and Interbrew. He held the position of Chief Executive of Müller Dairies UK and Ireland until 2010.
He is currently Chairman of C&C Group and a Non-Executive Director of Tesco. Prior to joining the Board of Tesco, he was Chairman of Booker.
Chapel Down CEO Frazer Thompson said: “Stewart brings not only extensive drinks industry experience and FMCG expertise built at AB InBev, Muller, M&B, Tesco and C&C but also a love of great brands and an enthusiasm for our business.
“With Stewart’s strategic and commercial skills and outstanding people skills, we know that he will be a great asset for the company and I am truly delighted that he has agreed to help us on our journey.”
Earlier this year, Chapel Down sold its beer and cider arm after it was hit hard by the pandemic-related shutdown of the hospitality sector.
In contrast, Chapel Down’s wine and spirits business has thrived, with overall volume growth of 38% during 2020. The group said that increased sales to supermarkets and other off-premise retailers, along with booming online sales, had “more than compensated” for the loss of sales through the on-trade.
