WSTA welcomes new board members

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has added four new members to its board, including the founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality.

The new additions to the team include Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality; Trish Lorimer, grocery controller, Freixenet Copestick; Danielle Obbard, head of e-commerce for Rémy-Cointreau UK; and Lara Sills, director of commercial operations, Mentzendorff & Co.

Mark Riley, chair of the WSTA board, said: “The WSTA launched its search for four new board members back in March this year. The idea was to tap into the wider pool of talent in our membership, with a view to bringing onto the board a more diverse range individuals with the skills to contribute to the work of the board.”

The body removed the requirement that board members must all hold the most senior role in their business, to deepen the pool of potential board members, increase diversity and improve inclusion.

Riley added: “By removing the requirement that WSTA board members must hold the most senior role in their alcoholic drinks business, we have been able to bring on board a range of individuals with different perspectives and skills, who will also help us to promote greater diversity and inclusion. This has been a fantastic first experience in helping to find future leaders in the UK wine and spirit trade.”

The trade body said the new members were chosen for their ‘different business expertise and perspectives’.

The WSTA received 40 applications that were ‘whittled down to four highly-skilled women’.

Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said: “We were bowled over by the response to our search for new WSTA board members. This has helped us to find enthusiastic, talented individuals to support the WSTA’s ongoing efforts to represent its members and the wider wine and spirit industry, as well as to guide the increasingly varied work of the WSTA.

“We are confident they will bring their own perspectives, enthusiasm and skill set to the board; and be a positive source of information, inspiration and advice for members and for the WSTA team. Importantly – and for those who didn’t make it this time round – this exercise has also shown us at the WSTA how much interest, support and talent there is in our membership.

“We are convinced that the strength of the applicants means there are plenty of leaders waiting in the wings to contribute to our work in the future. It’s a wonderful position for a trade association to be in.”

Recently, complaints made by the WSTA against Au Vodka’s Bubblegum and Goat expressions were not been upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel.