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WSTA appoints new Chair and Deputy Chair

The pair – who have 64 years of experience in the drinks trade between them – follow Michael Saunders, CEO of Bibendum Wines’ successful three-year term as chair and ten years on the Board. Saunders was also chair of the Drinks Trust trade charity.

Like Saunders before them, both new appointments are titans of the wine and spirit trade and take on the WSTA helm when the industry is focused on recovery and rejuvenation during what continues to be a turbulent time.

Mark Riley has worked in the premium spirits industry for 25 years, and as MD at Edrington UK, he has led the business through significant growth and accelerated change. Before joining Edrington UK, he held various senior sales and customer marketing roles within Beam Inc and Diageo.

With almost 40 years of experience in the Wine and Spirit industry, Pierpaolo Petrassi MW – currently head of trading at Waitrose - became Master of Wine in 2007 and has been consistently placed top five in trade magazine polls for most influential people in wine. He previously held roles in Carnevale Group, International Wine Services, Waverley TBS (2003-2007) and Tesco.

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This week (Wednesday, April 27) marked the WSTA’s last Executive Board meeting with Saunders at the helm. Following the meeting at Encirc’s office in Chester, he handed over at the end of the meeting to Saunders and Petrassi – and stepped down from the Board. Saunders and Petrassi paid thanks to Saunder’s sterling work. They confirmed their and the WSTA’s continued commitment to helping the wine and spirit trade recover, rebuild and grow post-Brexit and pandemic.

The new chair and deputy chair will continue Saunder’s recruitment drive to ensure that the WSTA has the most diverse membership providing a robust and united voice within the trade. In addition, they will look to encourage more spirit businesses, wholesalers and independents into the fold.

As well as keeping a close eye on the traditional categories, the new team will also encourage more work in the low/no sector, mixing categories and efforts to help guide the sector down the environmental path to Net-Zero.

The WSTA board its is "keenly aware" that more work needs to be done to encourage better diversity within the sector, and the WSTA hopes to seek out more future leaders and board non-principal candidates.

Saunders and Petrassi have made clear their support for the WSTA’s continued push for more support from the UK government, including that wine and spirits receive fairer treatment from Treasury. 

Mark Riley, chairman of the WSTA Board, said: “I am honoured to become chairman of the WSTA, following in the footsteps of Michael, who – along with Miles as CEO – has expertly led the organisation and its members through some testing periods.

“It is clear the industry faces significant challenges. 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. The industry must continue to speak with one voice, and we embrace changes that need to be made in 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.”

Pierpaolo Petrassi, deputy chair of the WSTA Board, added: “I am delighted to take on the new role as deputy chair and support Mark as he takes the helm. These have been some of the most tumultuous times in our industry, but with challenge comes innovation, fresh ideas and progress, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the coming months.”

Chief executive of the WSTA, Miles Beale, said: “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 fortunate to have such experienced people at the WSTA helm giving the WSTA more access and insight across the industry when we need it most. The combination of producer and retailer, spirits and wine, brings the board the perfect cocktail of credentials we need to help the trade recover, rebuild, and take on the challenges ahead.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michael Saunders for being an extremely dedicated chair, whose combination of sound advice, direction and dogged determination to boost recruitment has meant the WSTA has been encouraged to grow and move into new ventures.”

He added: “We know that, like Michael, Mark and Pierpaolo have a great passion for the products we represent, and their vast experience will be a huge asset to the WSTA membership. Everyone at the WSTA looks forward to working with them during this new chapter in the world of the wine and spirit industry.”

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