STEVE ANNAND NEW SALES DIRECTOR AT INVERARITY MORTON
- Former Magners’ Head to Succeed Donald Campbell -
Inverarity Morton (IM) has today, Monday 20th February 2017 announced that Glasshouse Drinks founder and director, Steve Annand (39), will be joining the company as the new sales director from 1 March 2017.
Scotland’s leading independent drinks wholesaler revealed last December that sales director of seven years Donald Campbell (60) was taking a step back in his role to focus on key account management as part of a planned soft retirement. Following an intensive two-month internal and external recruitment process, the Board unanimously decided on Magners’ former head of on-trade sales, UK, Steve Annand as his successor.
Commenting on his appointment, IM managing director Stephen Russell, said: “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 has worked in the drinks industry since 2002, when he joined Anheuser-Busch as a sales manager before moving five years later to rival In-Bev progressing to sales director for the on-trade in Scotland. In 2011, with C&C Group’s acquisition of Tennent Caledonian Breweries he was appointed commercial director and, after a period of 18 months, became head of on-trade sales, UK, for sister brand Magners. He left to start up his own drinks consultancy business, Glasshouse Drinks Ltd, in 2015.
Annand added: “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”.
As a composite drinks distributor to the licensed trade, IM employs over 200 people and 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, and more recently collected the award for Drinks Wholesaler of the Year at the 2017 Drinks Retailing Awards.