How to Hire a Wine & Spirits Executive

Wine and spirits blend brand, craft, heritage, and distinctive route-to-market dynamics into a rich, competitive category. Leading in it takes a specific mix. Here is how to hire.

A brand- and heritage-driven category

Wine and spirits compete heavily on brand, craft, and heritage — consumers choose products for the story, quality, prestige, and meaning they carry, as much as the liquid itself. Leaders need genuine brand and marketing strength, and an appreciation of the craft and heritage that underpin premium wine and spirits brands. Building desirable brands with authentic stories and quality is central to the category, much as in other premium drinks, and leaders must excel at it.

Premiumisation

A defining trend in wine and spirits is premiumisation — consumers trading up to premium, craft, and luxury products and experiences. Leaders who understand and can build for premiumisation — creating and elevating premium brands, and capturing the value in trading up — have an advantage. Much of the growth and margin in the category lies in the premium and luxury tiers, so understanding how to build and win there is genuinely important to leadership in wine and spirits.

Distinctive route-to-market

Wine and spirits have distinctive route-to-market dynamics — complex distribution, the role of on-trade (bars, restaurants) and off-trade (retail), and in some markets specific distribution and regulatory structures (such as three-tier systems). Leaders need genuine understanding of these channels and how to win in them, because distribution and route-to-market matter enormously in the category. This channel and route-to-market expertise, alongside brand-building, is central to commercial success in wine and spirits.

Regulation and responsibility

The category is also regulated, with rules on marketing, sale, and responsibility around alcohol that vary by market, and growing attention to responsible drinking. Leaders must navigate this regulatory and responsibility dimension credibly. Combining brand and marketing strength, an understanding of craft, heritage, and premiumisation, route-to-market expertise, and regulatory awareness is what strong wine and spirits leadership requires. Define the business and a retained search can match leaders who fit.

Frequently asked questions

What makes wine & spirits leadership distinctive?

The category competes on brand, craft, and heritage, is driven by premiumisation, and has distinctive route-to-market dynamics (on-trade, off-trade, and specific distribution and regulatory structures) — so leaders need brand and marketing strength combined with channel and commercial expertise and regulatory awareness.

What should you look for in a wine & spirits executive?

Genuine brand and marketing strength combined with an appreciation of craft, heritage, and premiumisation, an understanding of the category's distinctive route-to-market (on-trade and off-trade) and regulation, and the commercial capability to win in it.

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