TWE's Tom King joins the WSTA board

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 21 August, 2017

Dan Townsend’s successor at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has joined the board of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Tom King, who became European MD earlier this year following Townsend’s sudden passing, has over 10 years’ experience in the drinks industry.

As a board member supporting the wider wine and spirits industry, he brings experience working as an accountant at Ernst and Young and also at Bacardi where he joined as a commercial analyst before becoming finance director of the company’s Global Travel Retail business.

King continued his focus on travel retail with his move to TWE in 2013, where he started as commercial director of Global Travel Retail and then a year later became as general manager.

In 2015 Tom was also named general manager for the Central & Eastern European regions as well as for Global On-Premise, before being appointed managing director for Europe in early 2017.

The appointment is the second of 2017 following Tamara Roberts earlier in the year.

“It is a great privilege to be appointed to the WSTA board, especially at a time of such importance to the wine and spirits industry,” King said.

“We are faced with several key challenges and opportunities in the coming years and I look forward to helping the WSTA frame its engagement with government and the trade over this period, as well as contributing to the great work that the WSTA does for our industry.”

He joins the following WSTA board members:

Dan Jago (Chairman), CEO of Berry Bros. & Rudd

Miles Beale CEO, of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association

Troy Christensen, CEO of Enotria Wine Cellars

Diana Hunter, CEO of Conviviality Retail Plc

Charles Ireland, Diageo’s General Manager GB

David Mawer, MD of JF Hillebrand UK

Huw Pennell, European Regional MD Edrington

Pierpaolo Petrassi, Head of buying – beers, wines, spirits – Waitrose

Laurent Pillet, MD Pernod Ricard UK

Michael Saunders, Business Development Director – Conviviality Plc

Jo Thornton, MD Moet Hennessy Ltd