WSTA moves to diversify board

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 01 March, 2023

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is seeking new board members who will help add diversity to its team, having revised its recruitment strategy.

Calling on its membership companies for what it describes as “fresh thinking volunteers”, four successful applicants will be invited to join the board for a two-year term, with the goal of bringing “different business expertise and prospectives” to bear.

The trade body is particularly keen to hear from those working in SMEs, UK wine and spirit producers, importers/exporters, wholesalers or merchants, with specific skills, such as law, comms, data specialists, etc, of particular interest.

To help achieve its aim of greater diversity, the WSTA is waiving its normal requirement that board members must hold the most senior roles in their drinks businesses.

“I am very pleased that the WSTA board has taken the decision to boost the skillsets around the table, by opening up places for fresh thinking from experts or highly trained individuals within our membership who will bring new disciplines to the board,” said WSTA CEO Miles Beale.

“We believe that our member companies have within their ranks a source of untapped talent that could help drive the WSTA at a time when the industry is focused on recovery and rejuvenation during what continues to be a turbulent time.”

Mark Riley, chair of the WSTA board, added: “By removing the requirement that WSTA board members must hold the most senior role in their alcoholic drinks business, we can introduce new perspectives and skills which will ensure the board benefits from – and can promote - greater diversity and inclusion.

“We also hope that many of them will go on to be future leaders in the wine and spirit trade.”

For more information on the new board roles, go to the WSTA website here.

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