Image: New WISA chair Tim Stead (left) with outgoing chair Jason Amos

Wine Industry Suppliers Association Inc. (WISA) held its annual general meeting yesterday, ratifying management committee elections which see retiring and new members.

The new executive team of the management committee was also agreed.

Changes see Tim Stead, of Amorim Cork, become the new chair of WISA as well as lead of the WISA Sustainability Working Group.

Liz Shoen, of Liz Shoen Consulting, becomes the new deputy chair; while Amy Bishop, of DW Fox Tucker, was re-elected to the committee and is reinstated as secretary and public officer. Nathalie Taquet, from eBottli, has been reinstated as treasurer.

Adrian Fiocchini, of Seguin Moreau, and Ron van Buuren, of Hydra Consulting, have both been elected as new management committee members.

Ongoing members include Eric Wilkes from Affinity Labs/AWRI, who is also on the WISA Technical Working Group; Steven Scott, from Pernod Ricard Winemakers; Daniel Polson, from Adama, (lead of the WISA Viticulture Working Group); and Robin Shaw, from Wine Tourism Australia, who is also program manager for the WIIC Wine Industry IMPACT Conference.

Retiring from the committee are outgoing chair Jason Amos, from Lallemand, and Andrew Kuhndt, from Orora Glass.

In a statement issued by WISA, Amos was thanked for his “leadership and passion” as the chair of WISA for the past four years, especially while navigating COVID-19 and its effects on the association, as well as in onboarding the new executive officer and steering the decision making for the new strategic plan and branding.

Kuhndt was also thanked for his contribution, advice and support during the period he had volunteered for the management committee. The statement said WISA will continue in its engagement with Kuhndt and Orora as driving members of the association. The recent winner the Wine Industry IMPACT Award 2022, sponsored by Endeavour Drinks Group for Packaging and Design, Orora continues to innovate in the supply chain.

New WISA chair Tim Stead stated that, “we are stronger through the refreshed enthusiasm and focus of the association and thank our members and those that personally lend their expertise to us in numerous ways”.

“The collective challenges we face are solved together for the benefit of our customers and our businesses,” Stead said.

Executive officer Shirley Fraser added that, “with the diversity of our WISA members, we were pleased that the management committee diversity has resulted in 60:40 gender split with the executive team 75:25”.

“We have eight corporates and two sole traders, and representation across viticulture, winemaking, packaging, sales, oak, technology, wine tourism, research, engineering and consulting – reflecting the segments and range of topics for us all to be across to assist wine business,” Fraser said.

Are you a Daily Wine News subscriber? If not, click here to join our mailing list. It’s free!