New appointments at Kopparberg UK

Kopparberg UK (Cider of Sweden Ltd) has announce three new appointments to its management team. “The appointments” say the company, “reflect the business’s ethos of combining entrepreneurial, independent spirit with strong experience of the competitive UK drinks market.”
They are Head of On-Trade Retail – Marc Charles, Head of Off-Trade – Neil Robinson and Head of Route to Market – Anthony Clarey.
Marc joins Kopparberg as the company’s Head of On-Trade Retail have formerly led the On-Trade team at G&J Greenall. This is a newly created role at Kopparberg UK, and it will see Marc lead Kopparberg’s Managed and Free Trade sales teams as well as taking charge of all strategic planning for the brand in the On-Trade channel. Marc began his career in 1990 with Coca-Cola followed by roles with Whitbread and Matthew Clark. Between 1998 and 2004 Marc was On-Trade Director with Pernod Ricard. In 2004 he formed an agency business to import and launch brands and manage major international drinks distributors.
Anthony Clarey, who has been promoted to the role of Head of Route to Market, another newly created role within the business, which is intended to reflect the importance of the wholesale and cash & carry channel to the brand’s overall success in the UK. He joined Kopparberg in April 2012 as National Account Controller, and he has previously worked with Carlton & United Brewers (Fosters Group); ABInbev (formerly Whitbread Beer Co. & Interbrew), Miller Brands and Red Bull UK in a variety of On-Trade sales management roles.
The three appointments join Kopparberg UK’s existing management team of Davin Nugent (Managing Director), Ciaran Cleland (Finance Director) and Rob Calder (Head of Marketing).
Commenting on the appointments, Managing Director Davin Nugent said, ‘I am delighted to formally welcome Anthony, Marc and Neil to the Kopparberg UK management team and look forward to the valuable insight they will be able to offer as they draw on their extensive experience of the UK drinks trade. With all three having first-hand experience of working for start-ups as well as having worked with some of the more established drinks companies, they each embody the entrepreneurial spirit and expertise that drives the Kopparberg Cider brand.’
Pioneers of the UK’s rapidly growing fruit cider category, Kopparberg was first launched in the UK in 2006. Still fermented and bottled in the small town of Kopparberg, Sweden, the Kopparberg brand is the UK On-Trade’s leading packaged cider brand and the number 1 fruit cider brand across both the On and Off-Trade channels. The brand’s sales in 2013 increased by 24% v. 2012.