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WSTA appoints two new Board members

General | 02 November, 2018

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has fortified its board as it concentrates increasingly on supporting import and export in a new era of trading.

Ahead of the new trading landscape it has invited both a global wine giant and one of the UK’s leading craft distillers to take a seat around the table.

Paul Sorrentino, a Vice President/General Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa for E&J Gallo, and Daniel Szor, founder of Cotswolds Distillery, attended their first WSTA Board meeting in October.

Paul’s appointment brings into the fold a key player at E&J Gallo, the world’s largest family-owned winery and biggest importer of US wine to the UK.

Daniel takes his place as the first small distillery owner to join the WSTA Board table. His appointment boosts the input from our domestic producers and follows on from English vineyard boss Tamara Roberts taking a seat at the Board last year.

Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, Miles Beale, said:

“The WSTA continues to fortify its Board team and I am delighted to welcome both Paul and Dan. We represent the big and the small bringing together domestic and international players in the wine and spirit trade.

“Each member of our Board brings to the table a different set of skills that means the WSTA can cover every issue facing this diverse sector. The WSTA is doing more than ever before for its members and the industry in these uncertain and testing times.”

Paul Sorrentino joined the E&J Gallo Winery as a sales representative for a distributor in Chicago, Illinois. Since his start in 1997, he has held various sales leadership roles in the US across multiple states.

While most of his career has been spent living in Chicago and NYC, Paul has been involved in the commercial business for Gallo in 13 different states spanning the Midwest, Central and Northeast regions. His experience involves both retail and on-premise sales of Gallo’s growing and evolving portfolio of wines and spirits.

In 2017 and after 20 years’ experience with the US business, Paul moved with his wife and two children to London to lead Gallo’s business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Daniel Szor was born and raised in New York City and has spent most of his professional life living in Paris and London, specializing in the sales & marketing of currency investment management services.

He was a member of senior management of New York-based Currency Manager FX Concepts for over 25 years, setting up and running offices for them in both Paris and London.

It was during his years in Paris that Daniel was first bitten by the whisky bug. Years later, while living in London Daniel and his wife purchased an old farmhouse in the North Cotswolds and gradually fell in love with this most beautiful corner of Britain.

Aware of the phenomenal growth in craft spirits in the US, Daniel decided to combine his love of whisky and the Cotswolds by creating the first-ever full-scale distillery in the region, with a focus on premium small-batch gin and single malt whisky made with local ingredients. His Cotswolds Distillery is now one of the fastest-growing premium spirits brands, thanks to their award-winning spirits which are now sold in over 30 countries.

Dan Jago, Chairman of the WSTA, comments:

“I am very pleased to welcome both Paul and Daniel to the Board. Their wealth of experience in two different fields brings a nice balance which will strengthen the WSTA board.

Paul’s extensive knowledge of the global wine industry and expertise in the world of wine importing is a tremendous asset to the Board. Equally, Daniel’s entrepreneurial eye and huge successes in the spirits trade will add two important voices to the WSTA boardroom.

I look forward to working with Paul and Daniel, and the rest of the Board moving forward into 2019.”

Paul Sorrentino, a Vice President for E&J Gallo:

“I’m honoured to be chosen to serve on the board at the WSTA. Working alongside other industry leaders to further the great work be done by the WSTA is an exciting opportunity that I am looking forward to be a part of.”

Daniel Szor founder of Cotswolds Distillery:

“I was delighted to be asked to join the WSTA Board earlier this year. Britain’s SME craft distillers will be at the forefront of exploring new trading opportunities post-Brexit, and I’m looking forward to helping the WSTA and its members prepare and then take advantage of new trading arrangements.”

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