New commercial director to drive Society of Vintners growth

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 05 January, 2026

The Society of Vintners has hit the ground running in 2026, with the appointment of Claire Greenwood (pictured) as its first commercial director as of 5 January.

The move marks a big step up for the non-profit, member-owned buying group, which counts 29 members and currently supplies over 4 million bottles annually.

Speaking exclusively to Harpers, the Society’s CEO, John Mansfield, explained that with a turnover now nudging £21m and growing, Greenwood’s new role would help drive further growth, while also facilitating better value for its members.

Read more: When in Rome acquired by North South Wines

“It’s a huge step forward,” said Mansfield. “I started the business 25 years ago, and with Paula [Leaney, head of operations] who was originally brought on part time, broadly speaking the two of us have grown the business up until this stage.

“Claire’s appointment is a recognition of the fact that we are now so big, that there’s so much to do, so many plans that we have, that we need someone of high talent to actually come and help us do that.”

Greenwood, who was formerly buyer & head of off-trade sales at North South Wines, has a brief that spans portfolio management, member engagement and raising the Society of Vintners’ profile, including proactive communication on industry issues with existing members.

“I see it as a really interesting, multi-faceted role,” said Greenwood.

“For me, coming in, I’m starting with a great basis, it’s a dream, and there’s so much opportunity to do new things and to expand and grow, but to be really targeted and strategic in what we do.”

She describes “a big portfolio piece to do”, but very much over the medium-to-longer term, plus a ramping up of communication with existing members, who in turn are where much of that projected growth is to be targeted.

“Part of my remit is really getting closer to those members, making sure that they’re really clear on what benefits we offer as a Society, and what we are here to do, which is to satisfy them and get them the right products,” said Greenwood.

With such a diverse range of members, also spanning Scotland to the Channel Islands and many points between, both Mansfield and Greenwood stress that the buying group can never be “a one size fits all model”, but needs the collective support of its members if it is to continue to grow.

“We’ve got ambitious plans, yes, but very grounded ambitious plans, we need the current members to be on board and to work with us, but we also need to be aware that new members will help that growth plan as well,” added Greenwood.

Of the 4 million bottles supplied in 2025, 75% were own-label, with a further 20% being exclusive to the Society of Vintners, with an initial target now set to grow to 500,000 9l cases annually.

A fuller profile of Society of Vintners will run early this year in Harpers.

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