FDBusiness.com

International spirits company, Quintessential Brands Group, has announced changes to its senior leadership team with James Lousada, former CEO of Carlsberg UK, taking the helm as Chief Executive Officer. The company’s marketing function also sees new leadership with Rob Curteis, former Global Marketing Director for the company’s gin portfolio, taking on the role of Group Marketing Director, a role which also sees him join the company’s Senior Executive Team.

As Group Marketing Director, Rob Curteis is responsible for establishing Quintessential Brands’ category approach, unlocking further success for the company’s premium brands, including leading gin brands, Greenall’s, BLOOM and Opihr, and the company’s Irish brands, including the Dubliner Irish Whiskey. He also leads the team providing dedicated support to trade customers looking to optimise their category offerings by building their own brands and through ‘off the shelf’ commercial brand solutions.

Rob Curteis’ first task in his new role was to undertake a review of Quintessential Brands’ marketing function, which has resulted in the creation of a dedicated customer marketing team for the UK and EMEA, led by Russell Kirkham, formerly the company’s UK Marketing Director. Kirkham becomes Customer Marketing Director UK & EMEA, tasked with driving excellence in execution with customers in the UK and in key markets within EMEA. Kirkham also oversees the company’s insights function, ensuring customers are given tailored and unbiased advice that serves their needs first.

Retailer Brands Marketing Director, Neil Anderson, who joined Quintessential Brands in January, continues in his role, working with retailers looking to unlock greater value from private and own label brands.

Under James Lousada’s leadership, the Quintessential Brands team is aiming to build on the company’s success to date in the UK, where it has risen to become the no.2 spirits supplier to the off-trade, with a renewed focus on customer-centricity and collaboration, an approach that has served the company well during the pandemic this year.

The Quintessential Brands Senior Executive team has undergone a raft of changes this year with new CFO, Alex Pollard joining in January 2020, and new Group General Counsel, Jacqueline Drury, appointed in May of this year following her promotion from Senior Legal Counsel.