Kingsland Drinks MD exits drinks
Long-standing Kingsland Drinks MD of Ed Baker is leaving the role he has occupied for more than a decade in order to take up a role outside the drinks industry.
Baker is set to leave the Greater Manchester-based company, which focuses on wine and spirits creation, co-packing and filling, after taking on the role of MD in 2019.
He joined Kingsland Drinks in 2013 as finance director went on to oversee a pipeline of investment in the company’s infrastructure and capabilities. He also helmed the company’s transition to a full-service partner to the drinks industry, offering a ‘whole-category solution’.
The company is now recruiting for his replacement, as Baker makes the move into the private education sector.
Baker said: “The lifeblood and success of the drinks industry overall has been a personal crusade. It has been my pleasure to lead Kingsland Drinks and its members, while advocating for my peers alongside the WSTA. I’m leaving behind a talented, capable and energetic team positioned to win in the years ahead.
“Although I am leaving the drinks industry for a new chapter in my career, I do so confident that investment in our team, business model and strategic direction in recent years has created a strong and competitive business.”
During Baker’s tenure, the firm has seen a marked increase in its focus on spirits and low & no alcohol creation. It has also increased its capacity to pack wines and spirits in new and emerging formats including new carbonation, bottling, Bag-in-Box and canning lines.
Other major changes have occurred under his leadership. In recent years, the company reinstated its onsite winery and expanded its NPD capabilities with a new laboratory. In 2021, Kingsland transitioned into an employee-owned model, giving its members a say in how the company is run.
Andy Sagar, chairman of Kingsland Drinks Group, said: “Ed has been an integral part of our company since the day he joined as finance director. We’ll miss him greatly, but he leaves a strong business that has sustainable investment in people and capabilities that will continue to drive our business forward.”
Kingsland Drinks is currently recruiting Baker’s successor, who will oversee the entire business. Baker’s departure follows a series of senior recruits in recent years, including Andy Henderson as operations director, Mark Riley as commercial director and Simon Shelbourn as CFO.
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