Su Birch to leave Wines of South Africa

By Richard Siddle

Published: 25 April, 2013

Su Birch is to resign from her position as chief executive of Wines of South Africa at the end of September.

The move brings to an end Birch's highly successful leadership of WOSA that has not only seen South African wine gain market share all around the world, but has helped lead the way in sustainability and traceability schemes that are now seen as industry benchmarks for the trade.

Birch said she was leaving WOSA to pursue a personal project that she had been deferring for "too long". She explained: "I shall be leaving the organisation with a sound international team in place at the same time that the country has evolved into a significant player in world wine markets, well on its way to capturing and building on new opportunities."

WOSA will now look for a successor over the coming weeks, before Birch leaves at the end of September.
Birch said she would enjoy a brief "sabbatical" before looking to work across a number of different industries at "cost-effective marketing solutions".

"Rising costs and a volatile exchange rate are forcing South Africans to work smarter and with greater agility in order to be heard in an increasingly competitive environment, whether locally or internationally. Working to very tight budgets demands stringent discipline but also encourages creative problem-solving. This is where I believe I can play a meaningful role."

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