Rupert Firbank, the highly respected Commercial Director, Global Travel Retail at Accolade Wines, is leaving the company at the end of this month after a restructure. His replacement will be named soon.
Firbank spent 14 years with the company, initially managing Mainland Europe domestic as part of the Constellation Brands business, and then handling travel retail for Accolade Wines after it was spun off. (Accolade was bought in 2011 by Australian private equity firm Champ, and later sold to The Carlyle Group in 2018.)
From mid-2011 he was Accolade’s Regional Sales Director Western Europe and Travel Retail, before assuming the Commercial Director role for the channel in May 2013.
Firbank was highly influential in building the profile of the Accolade Wines business in travel retail, led by core brand Hardys, alongside names such as Banrock Station (both Australia), Mud House (New Zealand) and Geyser Peak (USA), among others. He is now seeking new opportunities in the wines & spirits sector.
Rupert Firbank can be contacted at: rupertfirbank@aol.com
