The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has welcomed four new members to its executive board, bringing over 130 years’ experience in the drinks trade.

This week the quartet attended their first WSTA board meeting held at the Penderyn Distillery in Swansea.

Joining the WSTA top table were Brian Davis, director at London City Bond, Gillian Murray, commercial procurement director at C&C Group, Robin Copestick, MD of Freixenet Copestick and Sophie Hogg, category director for grocery drinks at Sainsbury’s.

Davis has been part of the trade for over 50 years, starting in Tooley Street in London in the early 1970s. He joined the LCB team 27 years ago and has helped grow the company and its position in the trade into the UK’s leading bonded facility. He works closely with HMRC and other trade associations in trying to educate officials on the effects of policies changes and procedures on the trade.

Murray has over 20 years’ experience working in the drinks industry across Great Britain and Ireland. Her background spans procurement, sales and supply chain strategy, beginning with C&C via Tennent’s in 2014. She now leads commercial strategy for C&C’s route to market brands: Matthew Clark, Bibendum, Tennent’s, Tennent’s Northern Ireland and Bulmers.

Copestick started his wine career at Moreno Wine Importers in the early 1980s where he covered most roles until he became joint MD in the late 1990s. In 2002 he accepted the position of European general manager for Australian Vintage, where he oversaw exponential sales growth as well as launching the McGuigan brand.

In 2005, Copestick co-founded Copestick Murray which was created many successful wine brands in the UK and the US, including I Heart Wines. In 2013, Copestick Murray was acquired by Henkell and Co and in 2019, Copestick Murray and Freixenet UK joined forces after the merger of Henkell and Freixenet with Copestick acting as joint MD. 

Hogg brings over 17 years of commercial leadership at Sainsbury’s, where she has led teams across food, non-food and now serves as category director for grocery drinks – a newly integrated category encompassing beers, wines & spirits as well as soft drinks, juice, water and energy. This combined category has evolved in response to shifting customer preferences, with a focus on health, moderation and innovation.

Mark Riley, chair of the WSTA Board, said: “I am delighted to welcome to the WSTA board some of the best examples of leaders in the wine and spirit trade who bring with them a broad skillset from a range of different businesses.

“It is clear the industry continues to face significant challenges, and by harnessing the expertise and knowledge from these four stalwarts of the wine and spirit industry it will help us to ensure that the WSTA meets these head on.”

Chief executive of the WSTA, Miles Beale, added: “We are very lucky to be able to be able to call on an increasingly broad group of experienced industry professionals to serve on the WSTA board, giving us access and insight across the industry at a time when we need it most.

“The combination of retailer, wholesaler and wine and spirit producers brings the perfect cocktail of credentials which we need to help the trade take on the challenges ahead.”