Steve Annand has been appointed as the new Sales Director at Inverarity Morton (IM). Annand will succeed Donald Campbell who revealed he was stepping down at the end of last year.
Annand, 39, who most recently has been running his own drinks consultancy Glasshouse Drinks, was formerly C&C’s Head of On Trade Sales (GB) for Magners Irish Cider and immediately prior to that he was Commercial Managing Director of Tennent’s. He will join on 1st March.
IM managing director Stephen Russell, comments, “Steve’s CV is very impressive: here’s a man who has worked his way to the top of the sales ladder for several major drinks corporations in just over a decade; he then puts all his acquired skills and experience into consulting on brand development and sales and marketing strategies for emerging and established drinks producers.
“He knows the on-trade in Scotland, and the UK, like the back of his hand, which is hugely important for a business like us where on-trade sales are 95% of our business. He has also demonstrated a very insightful understanding of the business’ position and the growth opportunities as he sees them, and what’s more he possesses real leadership qualities, which is a vital attribute when required to manage and galvanise a team of 29.”
Annand will now be responsible growing sales at Inverarity Morton, which currently has a turnover of £75m, and is Scotland’s largest independent wines and spirits merchant. It currently supplies over 3,000 on-trade outlets in Scotland. The firm is a recognised centre of excellence for wine and spirits training and picked up Best Wine and Spirits Wholesaler of the Year at the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards in 2015 and again in 2016.
Annand comments, “I am delighted to be joining Inverarity Morton, a business I have always admired. It’s an independent Scottish company with a fantastic reputation for customer service, an unrivalled portfolio of wines and spirits and the capability to meet the growing customer demand for a diverse range of products across every category. I am looking forward to getting started and driving the business to the next level”.