New Head For Accolade Wines
New World wine company, Accolade Wines, has appointed its general manager UK and Ireland, Paul Schaafsma to be chief executive officer, succeeding John Ratcliffe who will become deputy chairman and also continue to advise on the strategic development of the company. Accolade Wines is one of the world’s largest wine businesses delivering more than 35million cases in143 countries totalling A$1 billion in sales annually.
Following the recent acquisition of Chile’s Viña Anakena, Accolade Wines is now the only wine company with a presence in all the major New World wine regions.
Paul Schaafsma has been involved in the wine industry for nearly 20 years, with extensive experience in the Australian, UK, European and African markets. For the past three years Paul Schaafsma has headed the largest division of Accolade Wines, the UK and Ireland region, where the business is the number one wine company by value and volume, more than double the size of its nearest competitor.
Paul Schaafsma.
Under Paul Schaafsma’s leadership the market share of Accolade Wines in the UK has grown over 70 per cent and Hardys, the leading wine brand in the UK on trade and off trade, has increased its market share by almost 16 per cent.
Accolade Wines recently agreed to sell its 50 per cent shareholding in Matthew Clark, the UK’s largest independent drinks distributor, to Conviviality Retail, one of the UK’s largest franchised off-licence and convenience chains, for £100 million. Matthew Clark is a 50-50 joint venture between Accolade Wines and Punch Taverns, and as part of the transaction, Punch will also sell its shareholdings to Conviviality.
As part of the agreement Accolade has secured a 10 year contract with Matthew Clark, which will ensure that Accolade Wines and Conviviality remain long-term partners in the drinks trade, and that Accolade’s portfolio of premium, commercial and value New World wines will continue to be available in the on-trade.
