Accolade Wines has announced the appointment of Andrew Clarke to the position of regional managing director, Australia and New Zealand. Andrew will commence with the business early in 2020 and will also become a member of the executive leadership team.

Andrew joins Accolade with significant experience in the FMCG sector. He has operated in senior positions at market-leading companies both locally and internationally, with a successful track record across a variety of food and drink sectors.

His most recent role has been as commercial director at Diageo, Australia. Prior to this, Andrew was chief executive officer for Ingham’s Enterprises, Australia’s leading poultry business, and before that held senior commercial roles at both Mars and Campbell-Arnott’s.

Ari Mervis, Accolade Wines executive chairman, said; “I am delighted that a leader of Andrew’s calibre has accepted the opportunity to join us at this time. Accolade Wines is embarking on an exciting growth phase, and Andrew will play a crucial role by leveraging his excellent commercial skills and experience to enhance the company’s performance across Australia and New Zealand.”

David Smith, Diageo Australia managing director, said, “All of us at Diageo Australia congratulate Andrew and wish him every success in his new role. He’s made a great impact in our business over the last two and a half years’ helping create strong outcomes for us and our customers. He’s a big leader and whilst I’m sad he’ll be leaving Diageo early next year, I’m delighted he’s staying in the great Australian drinks industry.”