WOSA WORLD

International marketing specialist WOSA's new CEO

19 September 2013

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) has announced the appointment of a new CEO. She is global marketing specialist Siobhan Thompson, who succeeds Su Birch with effect from November.

Birch will remain until the end of the year to ensure a smooth handover, before moving into the private sector, after 13 years as WOSA CEO.

Thompson has been Distell's global head of marketing for Amarula and the company's other liqueur brands since 2010. Under her leadership, Amarula has been consistently ranked as one of the world's fastest-growing liqueurs by international drinks research analysts. Her involvement with the brand, however, goes back many years, during which she aggressively built its global footprint, entrenching its presence in a range of developed and emerging economies.

She was previously Distell's group general marketing manager for brandies and cognac, including Bisquit. She also worked for several years marketing the company's sparkling wines and was responsible for the launch of the luxury Pongracz Desiderius Cap Classique. Before joining Distell in 2001, she was responsible for the UCT Graduate School of Business marketing and public relations.

Her extensive experience includes marketing fast moving consumer goods, as well as cosmetics. She began her working career in market research, first for Research Surveys and then Nielsens.

She holds a B Tech in Marketing and has completed the Manchester Business School's Advanced Marketing Strategy programme.

WOSA chairman Johann Krige said the organisation was looking forward to having someone of Thompson's global marketing calibre and experience at the helm to further the significant contribution made by Birch. "She is a highly respected, results-orientated, marketing professional. Her seasoned exposure to traditional and developing markets and her conversancy with the alcohol category inspire great confidence. We look forward to her leadership in taking South African wine to the next exciting phase of its development in the international arena."

WOSA SE NUWE UITVOERENDE HOOF IS ‘N INTERNASIONALE BEMARKINGSPESIALIS

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) het die aanstelling van sy nuwe uitvoerende hoof aangekondig. Sy is die globale bemarkingspesialis Siobhan Thompson, wat Su Birch begin November opvolg.

Birch sal tot die einde van die jaar in haar pos aanbly om te sorg dat die oorgang glad verloop. Sy sal dan ná 13 jaar as uitvoerende hoof van WOSA na die private sektor terugkeer.

Thompson is reeds van 2010 Distell se globale bemarkingshoof vir Amarula en sy ander likeurhandelsmerke. Met haar aan die stuur is Amarula gereeld deur internasionale ontleders aangewys as een van die likeurs wat wêreldwyd die vinnigste groei. Haar betrokkenheid by die handelsmerk strek egter oor baie jare waartydens sy die teenwoordigheid daarvan wêreldwyd in ontwikkelde en ontluikende ekonomieë aggressief uitgebrei het.

Sy was voorheen die Distell-groep se hoofbestuurder van bemarking vir brandewyn en konjak, insluitende Bisquit. Sy het ook etlike jare lank die maatskappy se vonkelwyn bemark, en was vir die bekendstelling van die luukse Pongracz Desiderius Cap Classique verantwoordelik. Voor sy haar in 2001 by Distell aangesluit het, was sy vir die bemarking en skakeling van die Universiteit van Kaapstad se Nagraadse Bestuurskool verantwoordelik.

Haar uitgebreide ervaring sluit die bemarking van vinnig bewegende verbruikersgoedere asook grimeermiddels in. In haar vroeë loopbaan was sy met marknavorsing gemoeid, eers vir Research Surveys en daarna vir Nielsen.

Sy het ’n B. Tech.-graad in Bemarking, en het die Manchester-bestuurskool se program vir Gevorderde Bemarkingstrategie voltooi.

Johann Krige, WOSA se voorsitter, het gesê die organisasie sien daarna uit om iemand met Thompson se kennis en ervaring van wêreldwye bemarking aan die stuur van sake te verwelkom om die aansienlike bydrae wat Birch gemaak het, aan te vul. “Sy is ’n hoog geagte, uitkomsgerigte professionele bemarker. Haar lang blootstelling aan tradisionele en ontwikkelende markte, asook haar deeglike kennis van die alkohol-kategorie, skep baie vertroue. Ons sien uit na haar leiding om Suid-Afrika se wyn op die internasionale terrein na die volgende opwindende ontwikkelingsfase te voer.”

DATUM                                 19 SEPTEMBER 2013

UITGEREIK DEUR                DKC (DE KOCK KOMMUNIKASIE)

NAMENS                               WOSA

NAVRAE                               SU BIRCH, UITVOERENDE HOOF, WOSA, (021) 883 3860, 082 563 0677

                                              TESSA DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422 2690 of 082 579 2358