Alliance strengthens on-trade team with three hires

By Lisa Riley

Published: 29 April, 2021

Alliance Wine has expanded its on-trade team with three new senior recruits to bolster growth as the on-trade re-opens.

Holly Sharpe, who most recently ran the Justerini & Brooks on-trade team for three years, is joining as head of London on-trade.

She is accompanied by Alexis Gouk in a senior sales role, who moves across from managing the on-trade at Fields Morris & Verdin, while Jean Wareing MW takes on the newly created position of on-trade marketing manager.

Wareing's career in the trade spans more than 20 years, including both marketing and buying roles, most recently with Boutinot.

The trio brought with them a “wealth of experience and knowledge that will be invaluable”, said Alliance Wine.

“We are very excited to be welcoming both Holly and Alexis to the London sales team and Alliance family,” said sales director Miriam Spiers.

“Their talent and expertise is outstanding. Their many years working on the London scene with premium customers is going to help evolve our capabilities beyond measure and help provide far greater support to our customers,” she said.

James Mackenzie, head of UK marketing, said: “I am also very proud that we managed to recruit Jean Wareing MW to the new role of on-trade marketing manager to further boost the resource that we can deploy to our on-trade customers.

“It demonstrates, as we exit the worst possible year for the on-trade, that we are in their corner and that we have high hopes for the future. We want to be with them every step of the way.”

The expansion of the team sent “a clear message” of Alliance’s commitment to the on-trade, not only in London, but also in its home of Scotland, added Spiers.

“We will be there to support our customers as they re-emerge from their enforced closures. To be by their side, to grow together and face the future,” she said.

Alliance Wine now employs three MWs across three different aspects of its business, including CEO Fergal Tynan and wine development director Giles Cooke.