AUSTRALIA. Lark Distilling Co. in Tasmania has named Satya Sharma as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 May.
The company said, “The appointment follows a global search process which identified Sharma as the candidate with demonstrated experience to advance the company’s growth and strategy.”
Sharma has spent more than ten years at William Grant & Sons, where he has been Regional Managing Director for South East Asia and Australasia since February 2021.
He also holds a complementary role as Member of the Board for William Grant & Sons’ Branded Business Unit, which oversees its global brands. In this role, he has spearheaded the expansion of the company’s portfolio across Southeast Asia and the broader Asia Pacific region. He was responsible for developing strong distributor relationships, growing brand equity, and accelerating the contribution of luxury to the group through the launch of the world’s first ‘The Distiller’s Library’ concept.
Lark Distilling Co said the appointment is the culmination of the board’s plan for CEO succession, which has been its key focus throughout 2022.
Lark’s current Interim Managing Director Laura McBain will continue to serve as interim CEO until 1 May, after which, she will remain on the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
Lark Chair David Dearie said: “This is an exciting new phase in the growth of the Company. The Board has been working on CEO succession, and we are delighted to secure a CEO of Satya’s calibre and experience to lead the company through its next phase of growth and expansion.
“According to IWSR data, William Grant & Sons have more than doubled its Asia Pacific sales over the last five years. The Board is very appreciative of the outstanding job that Laura McBain is performing as Interim Managing Director since February 2022, and we look forward to her ongoing involvement with the company as Non-Executive Director.”
Lark Distilling Co. last year celebrated its 30th anniversary. In 2021 it became the number one luxury Australian whisky in 2021, in the fastest-growing whisky category globally. ✈
