UK – International spirits company, Quintessential Brands Group, has appointed James Lousada as its new CEO, effective immediately.

Lousada will be taking over from Warren Scott, co-founder of the company, who is stepping back from the day-to-day running of the UK-based spirits brand owner and distributor.

Warren has been at the helm of the company since he set up Quintessential with Enzo Visone in 2011 and will continue to serve with the company as a non-executive director.

Prior to joining Quintessential as managing director in 2019, Lousada served in roles that included CEO of Carlsberg UK and general manager Europe at Accolade Wines.

Under Lousada’s leadership, Quintessential is aiming to further strengthen its business in the UK, where it has risen to become one of the leading suppliers of spirits to the off-trade, with a renewed focus on customer-centricity and collaboration, an approach that has served the company well during the pandemic this year.

“In today’s world, where many operators are looking for category solutions and for guidance on how to respond to the seismic changes this year has brought and their impact on consumer behaviour, Quintessential Brands is very well-placed to help,” said Quintessential CEO, Lousada.

“We’re committed to being the supplier that our customers know they can trust to always deliver, be it with innovative product development, first-class customer service or credible, cutting-edge insights, and we will continue to prove this as we support our customers through the challenging months ahead.”

The company’s marketing function has also sees new leadership with Rob Curteis, former Global Marketing Director for the company’s gin portfolio, taking on the role of Group Marketing Director, a role which also sees him join the company’s Senior Executive Team.

As Group Marketing Director, Curteis is responsible for establishing the Group’s category approach, unlocking further success for the company’s premium brands, including leading gin brands, Greenall’s, BLOOM and Opihr, and the company’s Irish brands, including the Dubliner Irish Whiskey.

He also leads the team providing dedicated support to trade customers looking to optimise their category offerings by building their own brands and through ‘off the shelf’ commercial brand solutions.

“We’re committed to being the supplier that our customers know they can trust to always deliver, be it with innovative product development, first-class customer service or credible, cutting-edge insights.”

Quintessential CEO – James Lousada

Rob assumed the new role in May, which was set up following the retirement of the Chief Marketing Officer position after Shane Hoyne left the group.

Curteis’ first task in his new role was to undertake a review of Quintessential Brands’ marketing function, which has resulted in the creation of a dedicated customer marketing team for the UK and EMEA, led by Russell Kirkham, formerly the company’s UK Marketing Director.

Kirkham becomes Customer Marketing Director UK & EMEA, tasked with driving excellence in execution with customers in the UK and in key markets within EMEA.

Kirkham also oversees the company’s insights function, ensuring customers are given tailored and unbiased advice that serves their needs first.

Retailer Brands Marketing Director, Neil Anderson, who joined Quintessential Brands in January, continues in his role, working with retailers looking to unlock greater value from private and own label brands.

The Quintessential Brands Senior Executive team has undergone a raft of changes this year with new CFO, Alex Pollard joining in January 2020, and new Group General Counsel, Jacqueline Drury, appointed in May of this year following her promotion from Senior Legal Counsel.

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